Melting the Ice
by Kassandra Black
Summary: With the weight of the world on her shoulders, the last thing on Lara's mind is relaxation and fun. Can one certain soldier break through her icy exterior and look into her heart? Princess/Ben!
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: So, I've travelled to the world of Albion from the deep space of Mass Effect. For those of you who followed me over here, I promise I will update soon…blame Fable III for my distraction. :)**_

_**This will be a Princess/Ben story as he was my favorite character, and I was vastly disappointed that I could not romance him. Please enjoy the story.**_

_**Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ, my unofficial beta! That guy is a bloody genius. This would probably be the time for me to tell you that I'll wait while you go read his stories over in the Mass Effect world, but you would never come back. So, read this first and then go take a look at his stuff. :)**_

_**Lionhead Studios owns all.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Now, use the power in your legs to bring up your sword and block!"

Lara rolled her eyes as she brought up her sword like her "uncle" had suggested. It was just like Walter Beck to be giving her advice in the middle of a fight. She loved him, sure, but the man had literally no sense of timing…

"Atta girl! That's it!"

"Must you always do that?" Lara shouted over the sounds of swords clashing and weapons firing. Her dog, Ares, lunged for an attacker, letting out an evil growl.

"Do what?" Walter called back, bending his body in a way Lara would never have thought possible to dodge an attack. Walter might be getting up there in age, but the man could still fight.

Lara threw herself in a forward somersault and pointed out her gauntleted arm at the nearest enemy, sending a shock of lightning his way. His body convulsed violently as it coursed through his body, leaving the bandit's corpse charred and smoky as it fell to the ground. One down, two more to go. Lara drove her sword into the next bandit just as Walter brought down the last one, kicking the attacker's knees out and decapitating the helpless enemy. Man could still fight, indeed…

"Do what?" Walter repeated walking over to her.

"Make comments and give me advice in the middle of a sword fight," Lara replied, wiping her sword clean off the dead man's trousers.

"I thought you liked when I did that," Walter said, using the back of his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Yes, when I'm training, not in the middle of a bloody battle. I'm normally a bit busy trying, you know, not to get killed? Instead of listening to instructions?"

Walter clutched his heart feigning to be hurt. "If my lady wishes for me to cease giving her advice, I will gladly obey her command. Is that what you want, Princess Lara?"

"Oh, come off it," Lara retorted. "Since when have you called me 'my lady' or 'princess'? Just Lara, please." It annoyed her to no end when people treated her like royalty. Granted, she _was_ a princess, a fact that she was reminded of every day of her life, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Besides, what kind of princess roams around the country with only her mentor and her dog for company, regularly getting into fights? The title seemed almost pointless given her current situation.

Walter let out a loud chuckle.

"What I want is for you to trust me," Lara raised her voice over his thunderous laugh, slightly annoyed that he wasn't taking her seriously. "We've been out of the castle for two weeks. Surely, I've proven that I can handle myself in a fight."

"That you have," Walter replied, this time wiping the tears of mirth from the corner of his eyes. "But must you always be so serious? It wouldn't hurt for you to crack a smile every once in a while, girl. People prefer approachable royalty, after all."

Lara let out a small sigh as she finally sheathed her sword and strapped her rifle to her back. She had become serious the day she started training with Walter. Jokes and random one-liners weren't going to get her to the top. As a woman (and the princess), she had to work twice as hard to best those training to be in the Royal Army. What she lacked in bulk, she made up for in speed and endurance. Her naturally small, lithe frame became an advantage when she was pitted against the taller, stronger men. It had taken her years to finally achieve her goal, and, in the end, she was the only one left standing in a room full of seasoned soldiers.

She had earned their respect that day, _really_ earned it, not just because she was their princess. She had become a warrior, a fighter just like them, and that's what got you respect. Who you really were, not what your title dictated you should be.

"Smiles don't kill bandits," she merely said, whistling for Ares to follow her as she began making her way down the road. "Though if they did, Albion would be a much happier place."

Walter considered her for a moment, before silently following her lead. _Avo help the man who falls in love with her_, he thought wryly. _Poor bastard is going to need it_.


	2. Chapter 2

Lara munched slowly on a carrot as she leaned over the railing at the monorail station, drinking in the sight before her. She hated looking like an awe-struck child, having people think she was new about town or something, but she had never seen anything like it. Other than the trips to Bowerstone Market or the occasional side tracks to Bowerstone Old Town, she had never truly been out of the castle, and the kingdom she'd been missing remained a constant source of amazement for her. Ares sat next to her, looking up at Lara and happily wagging his tail.

Behind her, Walter regaled her with random fun facts about the station, like how long it took to build, and then more brutal facts about how many workers died making it when it finally occurred to him Lara was getting bored. Even Ares was yawning as the old man blathered on. They had lost interest after the first fifteen minutes of his speech.

Lara quickly straightened up when she heard the sound of a horn blowing and steam escaping from a pipe. In the distance, she could just make out the box car chugging its way down the rail.

"And here it comes," Walter said, moving to stand next to her. "Most of the people here will be heading straight to Bowerstone, but we're going to take a little detour first. Got some business we need to take care of. I just hope –" The screeching noise ahead cut him off, however, as did the dramatic change in the car's movement. "Wait, something's wrong!"

Sparks flew from the rails as the car came to a complete stop. A sudden explosion caused them both to take a few steps back, bringing up their arms to shield their eyes from the bright flashes of light. Ares began barking furiously, backing up towards Lara as if trying to protect her from what was happening up ahead.

"It's about to fall!" someone behind them yelled, just as another explosion rocked the cave.

"No!" Walter roared, then staggered a bit from the sheer force of the explosion.

It took a few moments for Lara to realize what had happened. The second explosion had thrown her up against the station wall behind her, knocking the carrot she'd been chewing on clean out of her mouth. She ducked as bits and pieces of metal railing flew past them. Her heart got caught in her throat. The car had fallen!

"Come on! We have to get down there!" Walter grabbed her arm and pulled her along as he made his way down the flight of stairs, Ares following close behind, still barking, but Lara was still too dazed at what she had just seen, barely feeling her mentor dragging her along behind him. That could've been them! And even though it wasn't, that monorail was filled with ordinary people! What must have been going through their minds? A simple ride on the monorail had turned into something deadly, which frustrated Lara as she regained her senses and pulled her arm out of Walter's grip. Far from being awe-struck by the monorail, now she was simply amazed by how quickly the situation had gone to hell.

"This must be the way down," Walter said, pulling her out of her reverie. "We have to find those people. See if there's any survivors." The pair hurried towards the lifts down to ground level, but Walter cursed as a jammed door blocked their path. Nevertheless, the old man threw himself into the task of opening it.

Lara highly doubted anyone could have survived that fall, but they had to at least go and check. Walter gave out a loud grunt, and the door finally swung open with a loud creak. They ran to the nearest lift and pressed the button to go down. Beside her, Walter was having trouble breathing.

"Alright, I can do this," he said, wheezing slightly.

Crap. She had forgotten that he was claustrophobic, plus the ride down was taking unnaturally long. If Walter passed out, she could always just wake him when they reached the bottom…but leaving a man that old unconscious could lead to some pretty nasty things that Lara really didn't want to happen. She had to find a way to keep his mind off his phobia.

"Aren't you a little old to be afraid of lifts, uncle?" she joked.

"What?" Walter asked, giving her an odd look.

"You're what…eighty now? Don't you think you're acting a bit childish?"

"Acting like a child, am I? And what's this about me being eighty? If I was eighty, could I still do this?"

Walter grabbed her arm and spun her around before she could react, pressing the front of her body against the wall. One hand twisted her arm painfully behind her, while the other pushed the side of her head into the wall, squashing her cheeks together.

"Point…taken," she managed to sputter just as the bell to the lift rang. About bloody time. Trying to get Walter to forget he was claustrophobic hurt. A lot. _Next time, _Lara thought to herself, _maybe I should just let him pass out…_

He finally released her, and she took a few seconds to rotate her arm in circles and roll her neck. The man was still strong as hell, she couldn't deny that. She made a mental note not to piss him off again, or at least to be better prepared if she did.

"The box car fell somewhere up ahead. Come on," Walter said, already jogging down the path. The man didn't wait around for a second, either…

A creepy, childish laugh made her look up in alarm. What the hell was that? She was about to voice her question out loud, when Walter cryptically stated, "I'd know those sounds anywhere."

"That's great to know, Walter, but what the hell are they?" As they moved closer to the wreckage, Lara noticed the shadows of creatures running around the shattered box car. Creatures that looked suspiciously like deformed children…

Lara let out a loud gasp. "Uncle, are those – "

"Hobbes, yes. Looks like the monorail falling wasn't an accident after all," he replied, already pulling out his sword, as Lara did the same.

Hobbes? But those only existed in the adventure tales her father used to tell her! She remembered sitting on her father's lap as he recounted stories about his days as a Hero. He would use the hobbes to scare her and Logan from running off and looking for their own adventures. She had always thought her father had made them up. Surely those horrible creatures didn't _really_ exist…and yet here they were right in front of her. If the smell didn't convince her…

"Lara! Need a hand here!" Walter shouted, kicking one of the little buggers in the face.

Oh, right. She got to work slicing up the creatures as they approached her. One lunged clumsily at her with a makeshift club, piece of wood aimed straight at her head. There was a lot of force into the swing…too bad Lara could have done her hair by the time it took to connect. She simply ducked slightly under the blow, following up with a quick step forward and driving her sword through its chest. Another moved up behind her, but a quick lightning blast ended its hope at glory. Horrible creatures, sure…but they were surprisingly easy to defeat. Even Ares had managed to kill one, leaping onto the small hobbe and literally tearing his throat out. Cute dog, but he was certainly vicious when he wanted to be…a couple of them managed to run away, and she and Walter made good use of their rifles and shot them before they escaped.

"That's it! But there'll be more. That's something you can count on with hobbes. There's always more. Hate fighting those little bastards."

Lara turned to look at Walter and raised her eyebrow.

"More?" she asked, trying not to gag from the pungent smell of rotting garbage. "I don't think my stomach can take it."

Walter shot out a hearty laugh and patted her roughly on the shoulder.

"Who's acting like a child now?"

Lara glared at the back of Walter's head as he strutted down the path again.

"If the hobbes don't kill you, then I certainly will," she muttered under her breath still glaring at him as she followed behind.

* * *

"You were brilliant, Lara! It was just like fighting by your father's side. I'd forgotten what it was like, standing next to a Hero," Walter said as they finally made their way out of the caves.

Lara held back a smile. It felt good to be complimented. Especially when he compared her to her father. From the stories she'd heard, her father had been a legend, and she was proud to live up to his name. But her own story was just beginning. The smiles could wait for later – after she'd finished what she had set out to accomplish.

"So, this is Mourningwood?" she asked instead. A hazy mist seemed to envelope the ground, and a cold chill set goosebumps on her flesh. She rubbed her arms hoping to ward off the chill that was now starting to creep through her whole body. Ares' hair was standing on end a bit, as the poor dog tried to trap as much heat as he could. Something just wasn't right about this place. "I love what they've done with the place."

"Aye, this is Mourningwood," Walter replied. "I hope the people we're looking for are still alive."

Lara shot him a quizzical look. "Er…why wouldn't they be?"

"Because, come nightfall, it's one of the most dangerous places in Albion."

"Thanks, Walter, that's nice and reassuring." Lara tried not to let that last comment sink in. She couldn't really tell what time of day it was considering everything around her looked dark and misty. She really, really hoped it wasn't close to nightfall.

"Well, I don't know about dangerous, but I'm starting to get a rash. Bloody swamp," Walter commented, perhaps picking up on her uneasiness. Lara wasn't in the mood to be amused, though. The chill she had felt earlier now clung to her and wouldn't go away. She suddenly wished she had brought that thick jacket she had bought back at the Dweller Camp. Ugly as hell, but very, very warm. Though she was starting to get the feeling that the chill had less to do with the actual temperature and more to do with the thought of what came out come nightfall.

"That must be the place up ahead," Walter said, pointing down the road towards the faint outline of what looked like a large house, windows glowing golden with light. "What I wouldn't give for a bowl of soup and a hot bath."

Lara suddenly felt her spirits lift. Well, if there was soup and a bath, the place mustn't be that bad. She quickened her steps as they moved closer to their destination already tasting the hot soup in her mouth and feeling the warm water on her skin.

* * *

_**AN: Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ, my official beta! (There, you happy?) ;) **_

_**To Anon: Thanks! I actually tried correcting it, but ff is weird that way. **_

_**Next chapter: Ben (finally!)**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Hot soup and a bath my arse," Lara grumbled irately as she leaned against the stone staircase of the fort with her arms crossed over her chest. Beside her, Ares let out a tired whine as if agreeing with her statement. Her clothes were covered with mud, her hair felt grimy, and she was famished. Carrots could help you lose weight, sure, but they sure as hell couldn't satisfy your hunger.

As soon as they had walked into Mourningwood Fort, Walter had been greeted by two soldiers who she had surmised were the ones in charge. Lara had opted to stay back, giving them some space to talk and not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working, as the soldiers around the fort kept throwing furtive glances her way. Lara kept telling herself that the only reason they were looking over at her every few seconds was because they probably hadn't seen a woman in months. Surely, they couldn't possibly know that she was Princess -

"Lara!" Walter called out, bellowing her name clear across the other side of the fort. "Get over here, girl! There's someone I'd like you to meet!"

Lara pushed herself off the wall and cursed under her breath. _Gee, thanks, Walter. Way to be inconspicuous._ She held up her hand to Ares, motioning him to stay where he was. The poor dog looked relieved at not having to get up and follow her.

"Lara?" the man with the long mustache said when she finally reached them. "Walter, is this – "

"The princess, yes," Walter replied. "Lara, this is Major Swift."

Lara shook the man's hand with a firm grip. "Pleasure to meet you, Major."

"The pleasure is all mine, Princess," the Major replied, taking a puff of the pipe he held in his hand.

"Just Lara, please. No need for formalities here." She could hear Walter trying to stifle a laugh behind her, and she barely resisted the urge to punch him in the gut. Barely.

"Just treat her like any other pair of hands for now," Walter said, slapping Lara hard on the shoulders causing her to stumble a bit.

"Not a problem," Swift said, grinning and motioning for the other man to come closer. "Captain Finn will show you to the mortar. We could use a body up there."

"Princess, Ben Finn," the blonde man said, holding out his hand as Major Swift and Walter walked off to take care of business around the fort.

Lara kept herself from rolling her eyes. She knew Walter introduced her as the princess so that they could gain support from the people of Albion that were against Logan, but she hated having to endure the constant "my lady's" or the different treatment she received when people found out who she really was.

"It's Lara, please," she replied, gripping the man's hand in greeting. The warmth of his hand surprised her as did the sudden shock that coursed through her fingers. She quickly pulled her hand away, blaming her reaction to his touch on the shock gauntlet that she wore.

Finn just smiled, seemingly unaware of her slight discomfort when they shook hands. Maybe it had just been her imagination. She was tired and hungry, and the overall feel of Mourningwood had her a bit on edge.

"Very well. But if you insist on me calling you Lara, then you must call me Ben." His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and Lara realized that he was the type of man who could charm his way out of any situation. Well, good luck trying that on _her_.

"Would you mind showing me to the mortar now?" she asked, glancing over at Walter who seemed to be deep in conversation with Major Swift. Couldn't Swift just have pointed her in the direction of the mortar instead of having this Ben guy accompany her?

"Right this way," he began walking in the direction of the stone staircase. "I'll introduce you to Private Jammy. So called because he's the luckiest sod in the fort."

Lara just nodded, following Finn up the staircase as she looked around the fort. She suddenly realized that these men had been here for quite some time. Far from being homely considering the location of the fort, to these men, this fort _was_ home.

It was hard for Lara to imagine the trials of the people of Albion. She had been raised in the castle her whole life, far away from the reality of the world. Her few treks into town with her father, she was protected from seeing the harsher way of life of some of the people in Bowerstone. However, she was beginning to understand the hardships that these people had to endure. The villagers at the Dweller Camp, the mercenaries at the Mercenary Camp, the soldiers at Mourningwood Fort – they survived because they fought for it, every day of their lives.

Lara had been so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice that Ben had stopped walking. She ran straight into his shoulder just as he was turning, knocking her off balance. Her foot slipped off the edge of the walkway, and with no banister to catch her, she felt herself fall. Her heart raced, already anticipating hitting the cold, hard ground meters below her.

"Gotcha!"

A pair of hands grabbed her arm. The sudden yank in her shoulder caused her to inadvertently yelp out in pain. She dangled helplessly for a few seconds before she felt Ben pull her up with apparent ease.

Her heart still pounded in her chest. Her shoulder throbbed painfully from nearly being pulled out of its socket, but she was grateful that it was only a sore shoulder rather than a broken neck.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked looking down at her, his eyes darkened in concern as he looked her over.

"Yes," she managed to whisper, realizing how close they were standing to each other. She could feel his warm breath on her skin as he leaned in to hear her answer. His hands still covered her own. Another shock sent shivers down her arm, and, as she made a move to remove her hand from his, he only held on tighter.

"You really need to be more careful, Princess," he said, ignoring both her attempts to pull away from him and the glare she gave him at the mention of the word "princess". "How can you lead a revolution if you don't even watch where you're going? Though if you fight as well as you walk, I'm afraid the battle has already been lost."

His mocking tone infuriated her. _He _was the one that nearly sent her flying off the second story of the fort. Granted, she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going, but that was a moot point. He was blaming _her_ for running into him! But the low blow wasn't the fact that he was accusing her of being clumsy. No, the man actually had the gall to mock her fighting abilities when he had never even seen her fight!

She held out her other arm and produced a ball of flame in the palm of her hand.

"Unless you're confident enough to check that ideal, _Captain, _then I suggest you release me," she hissed through clenched teeth.

The corner of Finn's mouth turned up into a cocky grin. He let go of her hand and walked around the bend to where Private Jammy stood waiting for them by the mortar.

"A thank you would have been nice, you know, rather than a threat," he called out to her over his shoulder, still smiling away to himself.

Lara scowled back at him, but could only hold his gaze for a few seconds before she couldn't help herself looking around the fort to avoid it. It had never happened with anyone else before, but she somehow felt…shy, almost, looking at him. Damn, Mourningwood was getting to her more than she liked. First the shivers of shock every time she touched him, then her inexplicable shyness when he looked at her…she shook her head and looked down, trying to clear her head.

As she did, she caught sight of Walter, who had a look of amusement on his face. It was obvious that he had witnessed the whole thing but had decided to let her handle it instead of butting in like he always did. She had half a mind to throw the ball of fire at him, but instead extinguished it with a flick of her wrist.

She said a quick prayer for patience and then walked over to the mortar. It was going to be a long night. She could already feel it.

* * *

**_AN: Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ! Seriously, go read "Masses to Masses" and "Masses to Masses 2" over in Mass Effect if you haven't already. You'll laugh, you'll cry...you'll laugh and cry...it's awesome!_**

**_To Anon: Thank you! I was hoping it wasn't too much, but I'm glad you thought it was good. :)_**

**_Next chapter: What does Ben think of the princess? His POV of their initial meeting._**


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Ben Finn. He almost laughed out loud at the thought of him actually holding a position in the Royal Army let alone working an actual legitimate job. And yet here he was, second in command of the good old Swift Brigade, stationed in the middle of nowhere.

He stood up from the table he had been sitting at for the past few hours. Groaning loudly, he stretched his arms above his head, relishing the feel of finally standing up and stretching his muscles. They had been hearing rumors of a revolution and Major Swift had him planning out various courses of action that the Swift Brigade would take. Of course, rumors were just rumors, but Swiftie wanted to be ready in case they just happened to be true.

He was about to take a much deserved break when a sudden shout from Tom, the guard stationed at the entrance to the fort, caught his attention.

"Cease your movement! Be you men or be you Hollow Men!" Tom shouted down at the visitors.

Ben snorted back a laugh as he followed Swift to the entrance. Was Tom really serious every time he asked that? Hollow Men wouldn't be asking for permission to enter the fort. The wisps would just fly into the fort every night, permission or not.

"Have you gone daft, boy? Open up the doors!"

Ben would recognize that burly voice anywhere. Sure enough, Tom confirmed his suspicions.

"Walter?" Tom asked, apparently surprised that Sir Walter Beck himself was standing just outside their door. "Is that you?"

"The very same," Walter replied. "Now, are you going to let us in or what?"

Ben couldn't help but smile. Walter was just the man they needed to liven the place up. They had been stuck here for weeks, battling those damn Hollow Men every single night. They had lost some good men, and Avo only knew how many others they would lose.

The doors opened and Walter walked in looking lively. Ben could never get over the fact that, no matter Walter's age, the man was still as strong and energetic as ever. He knew Walter's presence would lift the soldiers' spirits. Hell, just knowing that Walter was here lifted his own spirits.

The gates opened and the Walter strutted in acting like he owned the place. Ben couldn't hold back a smile as he greeted his old friend.

"Walter!" Major Swift let out a laugh. "What the blazes are you doing here?"

"We came looking for you."

It was only then that Ben noticed Walter wasn't alone. And, by Avo, Walter's companion was a woman. The mud-splattered clothes she was wearing were definitely men's clothing, and he wondered briefly who she was before he turned back to Walter and Swift and joined them in their conversation. He followed them as they made their way to the other side of the fort, showing Walter the fresh graves they had filled just last night.

Every few seconds, he would glance over at the woman. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It wasn't until Walter bellowed out her name that he finally understood who she was.

So the rumors were true. Princess Lara had escaped the castle and was traveling the countryside hoping to gain followers and lead a revolution against her brother. It was something out of an adventure novel. And Ben was familiar with those, having spent a great amount of time working at Brightwall Academy. Had he not seen her with his own eyes, he never would have believed it. Yet here the rogue princess was, presumably to enlist the help of Swift Brigade. Well, if it got them out Mourningwood, Ben really didn't care what she needed to recruit them for…

As the princess joined them, Ben stood off to the side, taking advantage of Walter's and Swift's distraction to look over her properly. Even though she was wearing men's clothing, Ben could certainly appreciate her womanly curves. The dark pants she was wearing hung low on her hips and were tucked into knee-high boots. The dark, thin jacket she wore hid anything of interest, but that didn't stop him from guessing what was underneath. Hair, brown and pulled back into a ponytail. Lips, full. Nose, straight. Eyes…Ben frowned. They were ice blue, both literally and metaphorically. And judging by her reaction to Swift calling her "princess", he guessed she carried around a bit of an attitude.

He would have to tread carefully with this one. Maybe lay out the charm and see if she would take the bait…

"Captain Finn will show you to the mortar," Swift said, the cue for Ben to step in. "We could use a body up there."

"Princess," he began, noticing the spark that ignited her eyes as he called her by her title. "Ben Finn."

"It's Lara, please," she replied, her voice not quite carrying the politeness her statement implied.

Now, Ben prided himself in two things: his sharpshooting skills and his knowledge of women. Both had taken years to perfect. Years of carefully honing his abilities to the point where he considered himself an expert, even. But even years of practice couldn't prepare him for a simple handshake with the princess.

Slender fingers grasped his hand in a firm grip. The strength in her hand surprised him, as did the sudden spark he felt that ran all the way up his arm. She quickly pulled away, and Ben sensed that she had felt it, too.

He decided to ignore his unexpected reaction to her touch. Maybe he was just overanalyzing it. Yes, that's what it was. It had probably been just the friction his uniform caused sometimes.

"Very well," he finally said, giving her his most charming smile. "But if you insist on me calling you Lara, then you must call me Ben."

Her eyes narrowed as if she had figured out his game and wasn't in the mood to play. Hmm, maybe charm wasn't the way to go with this one.

"Would you mind showing me to the mortar now?" she asked, sounding a little bored.

"Right this way. I'll introduce you to Private Jammy. So called because he's the luckiest sod in the fort."

Nothing. Not a smile or even a small grin. Okay, charm definitely wasn't the way to go here. He needed to change his tactics. He'd never met a woman immune to his charisma, and it was quite disconcerting. He should be able to elicit _some_ type of response from her. She wasn't made of stone…or ice as her eyes so coldly suggested.

He suddenly stopped and was about to turn to see if she was still following him, when he felt her ram into his shoulder. He tried reaching for her as she faltered back, but her foot slid off the ledge. He managed to grab one arm just as she was beginning to fall.

"Gotcha!" he said, surprised at how light she was. He pulled her up with ease and brought her closer to him as he looked her over.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still gripping her hand in both of his.

She gave a slight nod before whispering, "Yes."

Another bolt of shock shot up his arms…and this time he was sure he hadn't imagined it. She tried to pull away, but he held on tighter. She felt it, too, and it had made her uncomfortable…

"You really need to be more careful, _Princess_," he said, relishing the spark of anger that ignited in her eyes. "How can you lead a revolution if you don't even watch where you're going? Though if you fight as well as you walk, I'm afraid the battle has already been lost."

He held on to her gaze. Her eyes had darkened in anger, and he knew he had found a weakness. It wasn't the flirting and smile he had expected, but it was something. And, Ben had to admit, he quite liked making her furious.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her bring up her other arm. A ball of flame erupted in her palm. The stories that he'd read as a child of the Heroes of Albion coursed through his mind. He was mesmerized. He was standing in front of a living legend – the main reason he had set out into the world, looking for adventure and justice.

At the moment, however, all he could think about was the woman behind the Hero mask. The very woman who hadn't fallen for his charm and caused waves of shock to flow through his body at her touch.

"Unless you're confident enough to check that ideal, _Captain, _then I suggest you release me."

Ben Finn had never backed away from a challenge, and he wasn't about to start now. The girl had an attitude, alright – one that he would love to tame. A devious smile spread on his lips as he let go of her hand. He made his way over to Jammy, aware that she was probably staring daggers at his back.

"A thank you would have been nice, you know, rather than a threat," he said, still smiling.

If looks could kill, Ben would already be six feet under. She tried holding his gaze, but suddenly turned away.

Her brows furrowed into an angry frown, as if she had figured something out, but wasn't too happy with the outcome.

Ben continued to smile. Seeing the fierce look in her eyes, sparked something inside of him. Maybe it was the weeks without female companionship or maybe it was his reaction to her touch, but he couldn't shake the fact that there was something more to her that he wanted to explore.

* * *

**_AN: Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ! If you have time, go over and visit his profile page. There's a poll he's conducting that's rather funny. :)_**

**_To beautybynumbers: Thanks! Hope you keep enjoying the story! :D_**

**_Well, I hope I did Ben justice. :) Next chapter: Hollow Men fight, with a twist!_**


	5. Chapter 5

"They're breaching the walls!" Ben shouted above the sounds of the mortar.

Son of a…Lara needed to get down there fast. The mortar was no use if the Hollow Men were already inside the fort. She made a move to vault down to the ground floor when Ben grabbed her arm.

"What the hell are you doing? You nearly broke your neck a few minutes ago when you almost fell," he said as Jammy ran past them to the stairs.

"There's a difference between falling and consciously jumping down," she retorted, wrenching her arm from his grip and dropping into the middle of a horde of Hollow Men. Now was the time to show him what a real fighter looked like.

She quickly hit the ground with a ball of her will power. The combination of shock and fire caught the enemy off guard. They staggered back and Lara took advantage of their momentary set back by throwing herself in a forward somersault and slicing her sword into the nearest skeleton. With the same momentum, she swung her weapon around severing the bodies of two more enemies.

As she stood, she felt a warm body press against her back.

"Looks like you could use some help," Ben called over his shoulder, stepping away just long enough to fire a few shots from his rifle and then pushing his back up against hers again.

Lara rolled her eyes in annoyance. What was it with men like Ben Finn thinking every woman was a damsel in distress?

"I've got it under control," she shouted back, hoping he could hear the irritation in her voice.

But he didn't move. The more she tried moving around, the more he stuck to her. Lara gritted her teeth in frustration. Fine. She would have to make do with him at her side.

They worked together silently. The only sounds were their swords clashing or their rifles firing as they continued fighting the army of Hollow Men.

Lara was not lost to the fact that they actually worked quite well together – a fact that annoyed her even more. With the exception of Walter, she really considered herself a solitary fighter. Even Ares knew when to hang back and when to step in. But Ben matched her steps perfectly. Every time she would step out with a flourish, he would bring out his own sword to cover her back. Whenever he lined up a shot with his rifle, she would send out waves of fire and lightning to keep the other enemies at bay.

She heard him cry out and turned her head around just enough to catch a glimpse of four Hollow Men advancing on him at once – and they were moving in fast. The only problem was that she had her own group to deal with.

Pressing her back up against Ben, she swung her rifle around until the top landed over both their shoulders. It was a blind shot, but she had a good idea where the enemies were.

"What are you do-"

Ben's question was drowned out by the sounds of her rifle firing. Two quick shots and she heard the familiar shattering of bones and Ben's own rifle firing at the three enemies left. Another foe advanced on her, circling his sword over his head. Lara held up her own sword blocking his attack. She lashed out, ramming the butt of her rifle through the Hollow Man's chest then shooting him as he stumbled back. He exploded, covering both Lara and Ben in dust.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the fort grew quiet. As the dust of the dead Hollow Men settled, Lara began to see the damage that had been done. While she and Ben had remained relatively unscathed, the same couldn't be said of the others.

The soldiers limped over to each other assuring themselves that they were okay. Some nursed bloody wounds, while others simply sagged against the walls of the fort. It had been a long, tough battle and even Lara was breathing heavily from exertion. She couldn't imagine doing this every night. A strangled gasp made her turn around in alarm.

"Jammy!" Ben cried out, running over to the soldier.

Private Jammy seemed to have finally lost his luck. The poor soldier lay dead at the foot of the stairs. Lara caught Walter's eye and the burly man just shook his head – a small gesture, but enough to make Lara understand the predicament that these soldiers were in. They were just following orders – her brother's orders – and it was enough to make her sick.

She had watched her brother transform from a kind, loving man to tyrannical monster. The Logan she knew would never have sent these men to their death. Because, in essence, that was exactly what he had done. How much longer could these soldiers survive in Mourningwood?

A small, moving light suddenly seized her attention. It moved slowly at first, and then gained speed as it circled around the fort. The soldiers quickly straightened up, the fatigue from before now replaced with adrenaline. It was only then that Lara realized that the flying orb was just another dead soul looking to come alive.

The wisp landed inside one of the graves, and Lara barely had time to read the name "Lieutenant Simmons" on the tombstone before the man himself made his appearance. He stood well over two meters tall with a gaping hole in his chest. His arms had been replaced by what looked like scythes, the curved, metal blades swinging up into the air. As he brought them down, the ground shook violently. Lara stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet.

She doubled the grip on her sword and was about to call out to Walter when she noticed that every person in the fort had been knocked out.

"Oh for the love of – are you kidding me?" she yelled out to no one in particular. "_Everyone_ in the fort has to lose consciousness _but_ me?"

Her only answer was the sound of Simmons pounding his way toward her. She managed to roll out of the way before he ran her over. She cast a few shock spells his way seemingly doing no damage whatsoever. Then orbs of light erupted from his chest. The wisps settled into the ground bringing up more Hollow Men.

Lara looked helplessly around her. Everyone was down. It was up to her to defeat them…all of them.

"Great. Just great," she grumbled under her breath as she powered up her will. The ground exploded with waves of fire and lightning, sending the Hollow Men flying in different directions. "Could this possibly get any worse?"

As if on cue, the sky rumbled and drops of rain began to pelt the ground. Resolving to just keep her mouth shut before anything else happened, she set about trying to defeat Simmons.

It seemed that every hit, every shot, every cast of will did nothing to harm him. Her increasing frustration coupled with the exhaustion that was beginning to overtake her. The weather only worsened her plight. Her tired legs dragged against the mud, her rain-soaked clothes weighed her down, and her hair had come loose from its tie, causing the long locks to stick to her face.

She removed her jacket, the cold air and freezing rain biting at her exposed arms. But Lara's attention was focused on the dead man in front of her. She fired her rifle at him, pulling the trigger until only the empty clicks echoed around the fort. Simmons charged at her, and she tossed the useless rifle aside. There was no time to reload. She pulled her sword out, but it was knocked flying from Lara's hand, the shock of Simmon's blow sending a shockwave up her arm.

Before she could react, the Lieutenant's boot connected solidly with her chest sending her crashing to the ground. Winded, Lara clutched at her chest and tried to slowly crawl away from the Hollow Man to regain her strength. Her ragged breaths cast puffs of steam in the air. She blinked against the rain that was lashing around them.

With two quick strides, the resurrected soldier was upon her, raising his sword high for the finishing blow. Lara could only watch helplessly. Everything seemed to slow down. She could see every drop of rain, hear her every breath resounding loudly in her ears, feel the pounding of every beat of her heart. Her world was about to end and there was nothing she could do.

Simmons suddenly froze…undead eyes looking down into his chest where the tip of a sword was protruding. With a grunt of effort, Ben Finn heaved it out, breathing heavily as Simmons fell to the ground and broke up upon impact, this time truly dead.

"Do I get a thank you this time?" the soldier asked, cocky grin in place as he leaned down to help her up.

Lara grasped his hand, and he pulled her up with a little too much force causing her to run into his chest. One arm held her firmly around the waist, while the other reached up to brush the hair from her face. His fingers slowly stroked her cheek as he moved the tendrils behind her ear.

Lara could feel her face grow warm. His fingers left tingling trails of shock on her skin. The warmth of his body enveloped her making her feel strangely safe...like the world could collapse around them but she would remain unharmed as long as she was with him. She frowned, looking up at him, confused that his mere touch could elicit such a reaction. It frightened her – to be able to feel so much from someone she had just met…

"When hell freezes over," she countered, angry at him for making her feel so vulnerable without even trying, but even angrier at herself for allowing that feeling in the first place. She pushed away from his chest, walking away to gather her weapons as the rain began to die down around them.

He let out a small chuckle behind her. "I think it already has."

* * *

**_As always, a special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ!_**

**_And because I haven't replied to the last chapter's reviews:_**

**_LoveTheCrazy: Ha! Love that phrase! Thanks to you for reading and reviewing! :)_**

**_Fanficaddict12: Hope you liked that little twist at the end there. :) I'll probably divert just slightly from canon from now on to have more Ben time. ;)_**

**_Anon: Lol! I don't think the princess realizes how powerful she really is. She doesn't understand that she can withstand things that others can't. :) _**

**_emberlies: Thanks! Hopefully, I won't keep you waiting for too long. :D_**

**_Cassandra Finn: I'm glad you liked Ben! Yep, that damn dog, lol. Hopefully, I won't forget him next time. :)_**

**_Next Chapter: Traveling to Bowerstone with the Swift Brigade!_**


	6. Chapter 6

"_Today, you have disappointed me beyond measure."_

_Logan's voice echoed loudly in the dark chasm of Lara's nightmare. His hardened eyes looked at her…but they didn't see her. _

"_I have been betrayed by my own blood."_

_Lara frowned at her brother's words. Betrayed _him_? Just because she was standing up for what was right? She searched his eyes, looking for the brother she once knew. The loving, older brother who used to hold her hand as they accompanied their father around town, who protected her fiercely against anyone that dared approach her…who had wept with her when their father had passed._

_But he was nowhere to be found. Instead, another man had taken his place. A man whom she did not know…perhaps had never known…_

"_Punishment must be apportioned where it belongs."_

"_Punish me, then." Lara hadn't shouted the words, yet they still held the same authoritative tone as Logan._

_But Logan shook his head, his dark eyes laughing at the absurdity of her request._

"_I will give you a choice. Who will be punished? These strangers…or this boy?"_

_Lara's heart raced as she realized the full implication of what Logan meant by "punishment". She turned to Elliot, her best friend, her _only_ friend her age. _

"_No," she whispered, turning back to Logan, pleading with him with her eyes. "I won't do it."_

"_I'm giving you power over life and death, Lara," Logan said, his mouth curving into a menacing smile. "So tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice to do the right thing?"_

"_Me," she said simply without hesitation, moving forward to grasp his hand. "Punish me…_kill _me."_

_Logan jerked his hand from hers and moved away, still refusing to acknowledge her request. "If you can't choose, then I will, and they will all be executed."_

_Tears stung Lara's eyes, but she blinked them away. She had to be strong, if not for her, then for her friend. She stepped back slowly, her heart aching at the pain and understanding she saw in Elliot's eyes. _

"_Forgive me, Elliot."_

Lara opened her eyes with a gasp, her heart still hurting from the reality turned nightmare. It took her a moment to get her bearings. They were heading back to Bowerstone and had camped in a village on the outskirts of Mourningwood.

She slowly sat up, drawing her knees up and resting her elbows on them. She rubbed her hands over her face, letting out a tired sigh.

"Nightmare?"

Lara started. After the drinking binge Walter and the Swift Brigade had gone on after they set camp, she hadn't expected for anyone to still be awake. But, of course, someone had to be on guard. Unfortunately, that someone turned out to be Ben.

She looked over at him, the dying campfire throwing shadows across his face. He was sitting on a log, a book of some sort rested on his lap, half opened. She only spared it a glance, but it was enough for him to hastily close it and set it aside inside his travelling bag. She raised an eyebrow at him, curious as to what he was trying to hide but decided against asking him about it.

"I thought you would be passed out drunk," she said instead, purposely changing the subject. Having him privy to her nightmare had been embarrassing enough without him asking about it.

"Someone's got to be the responsible adult," he grinned. "For tonight, anyway. I imagine I'll be passed out tomorrow while some other unlucky sod stands guard."

"Right…'responsible'," Lara commented dryly. "I'm guessing you pulled the short straw for tonight."

"Pretty much," he nodded, stupid grin still on his face. "Though I bet the Princess is glad she's got the most charming member of the brigade to talk to, right?"

Lara winced slightly at the word "princess", but let it slide. She shook her head ruefully. The man was clearly the kind used to wooing your typical Albion girl with a cocky demeanor and a wink. _Good thing I'm not your typical girl, _Lara thought to herself, holding back a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself," she replied, bluntly. "Though seeing as we're both awake, we may as well talk. I don't think I'm going to be getting back to sleep any time soon."

She let out another sigh, and moved to sit more comfortably on her bed roll. She conceded that she had acted rather harshly towards him and was willing to start over. Maybe once she got to know him a little better, the strange feelings that she felt every time she was around him would go away.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be? Nightmare that vivid?"

Lara cursed quietly to herself for bringing the subject back to her nightmare…which was exactly the topic she'd being trying to avoid.

"It's nothing," she said quickly, feigning great interest in a piece of lint on her trousers. "I just can't sleep."

"Nothing, eh?" he asked, arrogant smile plastered on his face again. "Then who's Elliot?" She looked up at him sharply. "You kept saying his name in your sleep," Ben explained, still grinning.

And just like that, her feeble attempt at having a civil conversation with him took a turn for the worse.

"Listen here," she growled, walking up to the soldier and grabbing him by the collar. "Elliot's none of your damn business, alright?"

"Ah, so that _is _what's keeping you awake," Ben said knowingly, not even slightly threatened by Lara's new, aggressive stance. She stepped back, releasing his shirt and balling her fists at her sides to keep smacking him. "Maybe it would help if you told me about it. A problem shared is a problem halved, after all."

"What, you're my bloody confidant now?"

Ben just chuckled in reply and sat back down on the log, looking up at her expectantly. Lara frowned, thinking about her options. There was no way she was telling the soldier the truth, someone she'd only just met, even if he had saved her life…but on the other hand, he clearly wasn't letting it go. And he clearly looked like the kind of man who would badger her all night until she told him at least _something_.

"Elliot's my betrothed," she lied, eyes quickly shifting toward Walter who was, thankfully, still passed out drunk.

"I see," Ben said, not looking like he quite believed her. "And you were having a…nightmare about him?"

"Yes, I...love him…very much, and being away from him provokes these…these nightmares." In truth, she _had_ loved Elliot, only in a different way, and she _did_ have nightmares about him, only for a different reason. But it still didn't stop her from feeling bad for using him and pretending he was still alive. "I constantly worry about him."

Ben nodded. "I can understand that. Worried he might stray."

"Sorry?" Lara asked, thinking she hadn't heard him right.

"Well, think about it. When was the last time you saw him? Weeks? Months? This Elliot might already be with someone else. He's not going to wait for you forever."

"What? Elliot was – _is_ not like that. He loves me. There's no way he would leave me for someone else."

"Alright, whatever you say," he said, shrugging nonchalantly and making a pretense of settling more comfortably on the log.

"He loves me, damn it!" Lara nearly shouted in frustration. She knew she shouldn't have cared what he thought (considering she was lying to him), but Ben had this annoying habit of making her angry for the stupidest reasons.

Ben cleared his throat and looked up at her with another raise of his eyebrows. "Yes, I can see that he just fell for your charming manners and benevolent disposition."

Lara threw up her arms in exasperation and stalked back to her bed roll. "And _I_ can see that you're just being an obnoxious git! I'd rather have nightmares than stay up one more second talking to you."

As if to emphasize what she had just said, she lied down on the thin cloth and rolled over so that her back was to him. She was too worked up to sleep, but there was nowhere else for her to go, so she settled for just pretending…at least until everyone else woke up and it was time to go.

Lara let out a quiet sigh as a tear rolled down the corner of her eye and onto the crook of her arm that she was using as a pillow. It had been a long, hard month and the last thing she needed was this random man getting to her. She was determined to just ignore Ben from here on out. Yes, that was exactly what she was going to do.

* * *

**_Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ who, apart from beta-ing, helped me jump start the conversation between Lara and Ben!_**

**_To Lux: I hope it's not going too fast for you. Thanks for taking the time to read and review! :D_**

**_And a shout out to PipTookMySoul who just made my day with her review!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Ben peered at the princess over the fan of cards he was holding. She was sitting on the other side of the long room, having a chat with Walter, Ares asleep at her feet. She certainly cleaned up nicely. While the Resistance's headquarters left much to be desired, the idea of finally being able to freshen up had perked everyone up. The makeshift baths weren't exactly ideal (buckets filled with lukewarm water), but after weeks of dredging around Mourningwood Fort, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Apart from her change in appearance, her change in demeanor also surprised him. The woman he had met back at the fort was very different from the woman he now saw chatting with Walter. Lara's face had taken on a softer look and the warmth in her eyes was a nice change from the cold glare _he_ usually got.

Someone cleared their throat rather loudly, causing Ben to jump slightly.

"You in or out, Cap'n?" Tom asked amidst a chorus of snickers.

Ben just smiled at the soldiers sitting around the table. "Just enjoying the view, gentlemen." He glanced quickly at his cards before placing down his own bet. He was playing a total bluff, and the men around the table probably knew it considering Ben's mind was fixated on something that definitely wasn't the game of cards.

"I bet you are," Tom smirked. "The princess? That's dangerous game, Captain."

"If you're not living on the edge," Ben grinned cockily, inspecting his hand, "you're taking up too much room. We have a connection, anyway."

Another soldier, Daniel, shook his head ruefully. "Aye right, sir. A connection?"

"I saved her life, Sergeant, that means something to most people. Though she's not letting on if it means something to her," he added, a little bitterly. It was bugging him that she was still so cold after he'd helped her…but it also intrigued him. Here was a girl immune to his usual charm, something that had served him well for all his life, and he was intrigued.

"She's an ice queen, sir," Tom said. "Ice princess, I guess."

There was a roar of laughter from around the table, accompanied by a few groans because of how bad the joke was, but Ben couldn't help chuckling. Everyone was in high spirits on account of being out of Mourningwood, himself included.

"Thank you, Tom, I did manage to pick up on that myself," Ben grinned.

There was a chorus of 'ooohs' from some of the soldiers at Ben's slightly tetchy reply, but it was just banter and Tom didn't rise to it. They were comrades, after all. Friends that had sworn allegiance not only to their country but to each other. They had lived through so much together in the past few months that joking and teasing was a welcome reprieve.

"The princess, though," Daniel chimed in, shaking his head and offering a low whistle. "A bit far from your league, dontcha think, sir?"

"All the more challenging," Ben responded, putting down his cards. A series of groans echoed around the table, a few soldiers even throwing down their cards in annoyance when they saw Ben's winning hand.

Ben absentmindedly reached out to pull his winnings towards him. His eyes, rather, were focused on the princess, who looked like she was preparing to go out. She was stuffing her bag with provisions, Walter at her side looking like he was trying to convince her to stay. But it seemed the princess had made up her mind, and Walter walked away, presumably to prepare his own bag to leave.

Ben grabbed her hand as she walked by their table, and she looked down at him irritably.

"Fancy a game of Skyllian Five poker, princess?" he asked as she wretched her hand from his.

"I don't have time for games, _Captain_," she hissed, walking away from him.

But he wasn't going to let her get away that easily. He moved to stand in front of her just as she reached the door. She took one step to the side, and he followed. She took one step to the other side, and he cut in front of her once again. She frowned at him, placing a hand on her hip and cocking it to one side as he continued to block her.

"And where, pray tell, are you off to?" he asked, ignoring her glare and the fact that she could roast him alive at any second.

"None of your damn business," she replied a little more calmly than he expected.

Ben tutted at her. "Such language from such a beautiful woman," he said, noticing a slight red tinge on her cheeks.

"Finn!" Walter called out from behind her, and Ben realized she hadn't put up a fight to get past him because she knew Walter would be showing up. "Tell Swift that Lara and I will be going to Silverpines. Should be back as soon as we can."

"Silverpines?" Ben called out after them as he followed them out the door. "What business have you all the way over there? That place is filled with – "

"I know," Walter sighed. He stopped, turning over to Ben and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, kid…" Ben cringed slightly at the word "kid", Walter's idea of a funny nickname. "…Page isn't willing to help us unless Lara proves herself. Like escaping her brother's wrath and killing hundreds of Hobbes and Hollow Men isn't enough," he added, shaking his head.

It was only then that Ben noticed that Walter looked tired and…well, old. He would've made a funny quip to the older soldier had Walter not looked so exhausted. Ben imagined that their months after escaping the castle hadn't been exactly easy, and it seemed the years were finally catching up to Walter.

"I'll go," Ben said, patting Walter's arm.

Walter raised his head in surprise. "No, I can't ask you to – "

"You're not asking me," Ben insisted. "I'm volunteering. Would you rather go to Silverpines and fight loads of Balverines…or stay here and get drunk with Swift?"

Walter let out a chuckle. "You're a good kid, Ben, I don't care what anyone else says," Walter joked before turning to Lara who had walked away a fair distance while they had stopped to talk. "Lara, Captain Finn has offered his services. He will be escorting you to Silverpines."

Ben offered her a winning smirk as she stomped her way back to them. She looked livid at the sudden change of plans, but she softened her words as she moved Walter to the side.

"Uncle, do you really think that's a good idea?" Ben heard her say and his grin widened. "You've always been at my side."

"I won't always be by your side, Lara," Walter replied, and Ben saw Lara's face fall at his words. "Oh, come on, don't give me that look. We both know I won't be around forever. Besides, I leave you in capable hands."

Walter walked back into the room, and Ben caught Lara's eye as she tried to move past him.

He winked at her. "Capable hands, indeed."

* * *

_**AN: I apologize for the late update. Should be back on track soon enough. :)**_

_**As always, a big THANK YOU to iNf3ctioNZ! For, once again, jump starting the story and beta-ing. Thanks, kid! ;)**_

_**And, because I didn't reply to last chapter's reviews:**_

_**emberlies: Thanks! More conversations to come since they will be traveling alone! :)**_

_**PipTookMySoul: A good romp **_**would**_** do Lara good. ;) Beating up on Ben is always fun...he likes it. :)**_

_**LoveTheCrazy: Lol, they just love to annoy each other, don't they? :D**_

_**half-breed-demon-fox: Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! :)**_

_**nirvana405: Thank you! They're gonna need a bigger sword with what's to come, lol. ;)**_

_**Cassandra Finn: No worries! Praise is always good...as are brownies and dark chocolate. ;) **_

_**Next chapter: Sightseeing in Silverpines! :D**_


	8. Chapter 8

"Hold my hand."

Ben threw her a wicked grin. "I _knew_ you'd come around soon enough."

Lara rolled her eyes at him. "Don't get too excited. That's the only way both of us can be transported to the Sanctuary."

"Uh…the what now?"

Lara pulled out the Guild Seal from her bag. "The Sanctu – you know what, never mind. Just grab my hand."

"Whatever you say, milady," he replied, giving her a small salute before reaching down and interlacing his fingers with hers.

She stiffened slightly at his touch, but didn't move her hand. The faster they got to the Sanctuary, the better. The Guild Seal turned warm in her hand, and she closed her eyes as a blinding light enveloped them and a faint breeze whispered on her face. It took only a few seconds, and when her eyes opened again she was in the circular room she knew so well.

"Good evening, my lady," Jasper's familiar voice reached her ears.

Immediately letting go of Ben's hand, she crossed the room and gave Jasper a quick hug. She had long grown accustomed to Jasper's insistence on calling her "my lady" and "princess" and had given up on ever changing his mind. She heard Ben clear his throat behind her.

"Jasper, this is Captain Finn. He will be accompanying me to Silverpines," Lara said dryly. Turning back to Ben she added, "Don't touch anything. I'll be right back."

She made her way into the weapons room. Walter must have warned her a million times how dangerous Silverpines was. She had a vague understanding of what Balverines were…mainly from stories her father had told her. Like Hobbes, she had thought Balverines were a myth – a story told to children to keep them from wandering too far from home. But, after Walter's brief lecture on the dangers of such bestial creatures, she was beginning to think her father's stories had been a little played down.

She switched her fire gauntlet to the vortex. Not really knowing the creatures' vulnerability, she figured sweeping them up in a wind tunnel would at least buy her and Ben some time. Next, she moved over to the guns, grabbing a couple of pistols to accompany their rifles. Their swords seemed good enough. After Walter's vile description of Balverines, she had hoped they would be able to finish them off from afar rather than up close.

She went back to the main room to find Jasper explaining to Ben what the Sanctuary was between snippets of her family history of Heroes. To his credit, Ben looked absolutely enthralled. Lara took advantage of Ben's distraction to properly look him over. It was only fair, after all, seeing as they would be traveling alone together. She needed to be sure he really _was_ fit to take on such an arduous journey. At least that's what she told herself.

His golden hair was tousled off to one side, and his blue eyes showed great interest in what Jasper was saying. He had changed from his uniform into some casual clothes, not wanting to draw too much attention as they traveled. His brown pants and white shirt accentuated his muscular figure. The shirt, especially, hugged his arms every time he moved them to emphasize what he was saying.

Lara frowned slightly at Ben's profile. He hardly looked the kind to be in the army…there was just something about him that screamed rebel and nonconformist. Cocking her head to one side, she wondered what his story was and why he had decided that life in the military was the life for him. She couldn't really ask him as that would imply that she was interested in him, and she clearly _was not_. She was merely curious about him…yes, that's what it was. Curiosity, not actual interest, in a man she really knew nothing about.

"…isn't that right, Princess?" Ben asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She could feel her cheeks redden as she realized she had been staring at Ben all throughout her internal musings. His eyes sparkled, giving her a knowing look. Behind him, Jasper raised an eyebrow at her, perhaps wondering why she was acting so flustered. It was not like her to lose her focus, and she knew Jasper was probably already jumping to the wrong conclusions.

"I…" _She what? _"Perhaps it would be best if we left."

She grabbed her bag, deciding to ignore whatever the hell Ben had been asking her. She didn't want to admit that she hadn't been paying the slightest attention to their conversation…or that she had been staring at Ben for Avo knew how long.

Lara could feel the two pairs of eyes still on her – Jasper's inquisitive ones and Ben's cocky ones. She made a pretense of checking her weapons, feigning great interest in the pistol she was holding before checking the sights on her rifle. She let out a long breath, closing her eyes and praying for patience.

She was going to need it.

* * *

"So you're just going to keep ignoring me, then?"

Lara's response was another shot of her rifle. The pack of Balverines they were hunting had been surprisingly easy to kill. The creatures had been downhill from them. All she and Ben had to do was take cover behind a conveniently placed wall of rocks and shoot at them from their vantage point.

Good enough for her. The faster they killed those beasts, the faster they would get to Silverpines. All she wanted was to get to that village, deliver a package to some fellow named Ian, then return to Bowerstone and show that stupid fool, Page, that she was more than capable to lead a rebellion. Lara knew that going to Silverpines was a bit much, but she wanted to prove herself to the Resistance. And so she had promised that food stand merchant, Andrew, that she would deliver his package to his cousin, Ian.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ben replied to her silence.

Lara reloaded her rifle not even sparing Ben a glance. She figured it was better not to look at him. The last thing she needed was to get distracted in such a dangerous place. Swinging her rifle over her shoulder, she made her way down the road, Ben following closely behind.

"Whoa, hold it, Princess," Ben said suddenly, grabbing her arm and turning her around to face him. "You can give me the silent treatment all you want, but we still have to stick together. I promised Walter I was going to take care of you, and I can't do that if you keep marching off..."

Lara's eyes narrowed as her ears picked up the sound of leaves shuffling. Ben continued to lecture her on the danger of Silverpines rather than actually looking out for the danger himself. Her gaze shifted to the movement behind Ben, fazing him out and directing her attention to the four Balverines that were stalking their way towards them. Ben kept talking, oblivious to the danger. She slowly reached for her pistol, careful not to make any sudden movements.

"…so if you just do what I tell you, we should get to Silverpines safe and sound. Deal?" Ben finished his speech just as Lara pointed her pistol at him.

Ben raised his arms in defense. "No need to get tetchy. I'm just trying to protect you – "

"Don't…" she lined up her shot, aiming at the head of the nearest creature, "…move."

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Ben's look of surprise just as she pulled the trigger. Ben's hair fluttered as the force of the bullet grazed by his head, and he flinched instinctively, ducking off to one side. The Balverine fell back, the bullet placed perfectly between its eyes.

"Are you crazy?" Ben yelled, swinging his sword around as he finally realized that they were being attacked. "You could've shot me!"

"You're welcome!" Lara yelled back, sending a vortex filled with lightning at the three remaining Balverines.

Only two got swept up, the lightning charring their bodies as the cyclone carried them away. The third – a large, white beast – charged at them. She and Ben threw themselves to opposite sides. Lara spun around in mid-air, unloading her pistol at the creature as it flew past them. Landing hard on her back, she tossed the pistol aside and pulled out her sword.

But the animal focused on Ben instead. She shot the white Balverine with a lightning spell as Ben struggled to reload his pistol. The Balverine faltered, giving Ben enough time to pull out his rifle. He managed a couple of shots before it pounced on him.

Lara's heart got caught in her throat. Ben turned his rifle sideways, fending off the beast as best as he could, but it was too big and heavy. She saw the Balverine's jaws snap open, attempting to take a bite of Ben's neck. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. She ran at the creature, jumping high in the air and lunging her sword into the Balverine's back. It howled in pain, thrashing around as it tried to take a swipe at her. She held on tighter, wrapping her legs around it's waist to keep from falling off. It continued to struggle, and she finally pushed off, sliding the sword out and then swinging it back around slicing off its head.

Lara remained in place, sword in hand, eyes scanning the area for more danger. When she was satisfied that they were safe, she slid her sword back in its sheath and moved over to where Ben still lay. She reached down, grasping his hand firmly and using all her strength to pull him up.

She placed a hand on his chest, standing on her toes and leaning her head close to his. He looked down at her, surprise flashing in his eyes at her closeness. Her breath caressed his skin, and she watched as the flesh on his neck broke out in goosebumps. Her lips parted briefly to whisper into his ear.

"Now we're even."

* * *

_**AN: Alas, another late update. I apologize once again. Sickness, work…sick from so much work…you know how it is. :( Thanks to iNf3ctioNZ, for taking the time to read this and offering suggestions and comments. Also, thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited or placed this on story alert! Really, it means the world that you guys are enjoying this! :)**_

_**Once again, for being horrible about review replies:**_

_**great ninja yuffie valentine: Love your name! Silverpines will be interesting, to say the least…argh, now I'm thinking bad thoughts, too! ;)**_

_**PipTookMySoul: Happy Belated Birthday! Sorry about the late update…I hope to make it up to you soon! **_

_**LoveTheCrazy: Roguishly handsome, indeed! **_

_**MissMagix9: More hijinx to come in Silverpines! I don't know who will be more annoyed…Lara or Ben. ;)**_

_**Cassandra Finn: Ben will do anything to get his way…especially with someone like Lara, lol. Thanks! Though, my friend, iNf3ctioNZ helped me out with Ben and his soldiers. :)**_

_**emberlies: Oh, Ben is definitely one of those guys! ;) Let's see what else he does to get his way. :)**_

_**Curiously Cinnamon: Yep, Lara just can't wait to get rid of him…though I'm sure Ben will probably ruin whatever she has planned. :D**_

_**Notnahtanha: Thanks! Bunnies are still hanging in there…it's real life that sucks, lol. :)**_

_**bunniesarecool80: Huge fan of this pairing as well, and I just love the attention they're getting. Woops! I'll try to make the chapters longer. Thank you for your kind comments! :D**_

_**atheirin: Wow, thanks! Explosive, huh? I'm sure explosions will come into play once they finally get together. ;)**_

_**Next chapter: Finally arriving at the village in Silverpines!**_


	9. Chapter 9

"Hold on a minute," Ben said, leaning heavily against the nearest tree.

Lara turned back to face him, the annoyed look on her face turning into one of concern.

"What's the matter?" she asked, eyes looking him over for signs of injury. "Are you hurt?"

"I…uh…" Ben stammered as Lara's hands began probing his upper body.

Her fingers were quick, pressing into his skin as she felt for broken bones. Her brows were furrowed in concentration, head tilted to the side, and he resisted the urge to push back a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail.

Truth be told, Ben was just a little winded. The only thing that Balverine had hurt was his pride, really. He should have been more vigilant, but that was neither here nor there. He vowed to be more observant of their surroundings…and to be less distracted by the princess. He could easily just tell her the truth, that he was just out of breath, and they would continue on their way. Or…or he could lie. He rather liked this side of her.

He let out a low groan just as her fingers reached his ribs, and she quickly looked up at him, blue eyes darkening in concern. He gave her a weak smile.

"Just some bruised ribs. Nothing serious," he said, grimacing as he pushed off of the tree.

Lara raised an eyebrow at him. "You were nearly mauled by a Balverine. I'd like to see what _is_ serious."

Ben just shook his head, smile still on his face as he continued walking down the road, one hand placed protectively across his ribs. He could see the village up ahead, silver nitrate torches lighting up the entrance. He turned back to Lara, opening his mouth to tell her they were about to reach the village, when a sharp pain across the side of his head caused him to yelp out.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, stars exploding in front of his eyes.

"You might want to watch where you're going next time, Finn. You never know when a low branch is going to pop out at you out of nowhere and attack."

"That bloody hurt!" he said, smacking the offending branch with his hand as he ducked under it.

Lara reached his side, a small smile creeping into the corner of her mouth. "Yes, I'm sure striking your head on a branch is a lot more painful than a Balverine attack."

Ben wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not. He had, after all, just hit his head hard enough to probably cause hallucinations. But, he was sure it had been there, on her face, as she passed.

"Did you just…are you _smiling_?" he asked, incredulously, limping up to her to catch sight of her face again.

Lara just stared at him innocently, mouth pursed as if trying to keep from saying something. But then, there it was again. That half smile on her lips right before looking away from him.

"You _are_ smiling. At me, no less. You're sadistic, you know that?" Ben pointed out, as he continued walking alongside her. "Finding pleasure in my pain."

He acted hurt, but he couldn't have been more ecstatic at finally getting her to smile. Granted, the price he had paid was a big lump on the side of his head. Still, though, it felt like he had just won a small battle. Like he was one step closer to breaking through that wall of ice she so often hid behind.

She just shrugged. "I find pleasure in a lot of things, I just don't show it."

Before Ben's distorted sense of humor had a chance to pick up on her statement, they had reached the village. It was a small hamlet surrounded by silver nitrate burning away at the entrances to ward off the Balverines. Wooden cabins marked the few homes of those who were brave enough to live in Silverpines. The only other attractions were the general store/blacksmith to the left and the entrance to a mine on the far right.

Lara went about her business, asking around for that fellow they were supposed to deliver a package to. Ben, meanwhile, waited for her near the store. He sat on a wooden stump, still trying to gain his bearings. His chest and ribs were still sore, and his head felt like it had been split in two. All he wanted was a nice, hot bath and a heavy dose of pain medication. Sleeping for a few days wouldn't be too bad either.

"You ready to go?" Lara asked, nudging his foot with hers.

"So soon?" he groaned, wincing slightly as he stood. "Can't we stay the night? It's almost dark, and I _really_ don't feel like fighting any more Balverines."

"You call _that_ fighting?" she joked, her eyes lighting up in amusement.

"Laugh it up, Princess. My one-liners will return as soon as my pain goes away," he retorted.

"Will your combat skills return as well?"

"Oh, ha! You are on a roll. Ever thought about switching your title to court jester?"

"I'm overqualified," Lara shrugged. "Besides, I prefer laughing at other people than them laughing at me. Kind of like what's going on with you and me right now."

"Ouch," Ben replied, clutching his heart in mock hurt. "Seriously, though, who are you and what have you done with the princess?" He looked behind her as if there was someone hiding there. "The 'Princess Lara' I know doesn't have a sense of humor."

"Only the people that really know me know I have a sense of humor."

Ben took a step closer to her, reaching out to brush his fingers over hers. "Is that what we're doing…getting to know each other?"

He saw her cheeks redden, shock replacing the amusement in her eyes. She stepped back and shook her head as if coming out of a trance. When she looked back at him, her eyes were cold and distant, and he was saddened to see how quickly her walls had come up.

"We should get going," she finally said digging into her pack and making a pretense of looking for something. "The Guild Seal can get us back quickly."

"Or we can rent some rooms…maybe get a hot bath? A _real_ bath," he added, thinking back to the limited resources back at the Resistance's headquarters.

Her eyes shot back at him, hand paused inside her pack. She seemed to think the idea over in her head for a few seconds before slightly nodding. "I'll go see what I can do about getting us some rooms."

* * *

"As you can see, we're not exactly a large village, miss," the shopkeeper explained to Lara, and she resisted the urge to grit her teeth in frustration. "We rarely get visitors, and the few who do pass by never stay the night."

Lara let out a sigh. Of course she should have expected this. Silverpines was barely large enough to hold a shop, let alone an inn. She wondered briefly whether she should tell him that she was the princess. While she hated flaunting around her title, the idea of a hot bath was fairly tempting. Desperate times, right? She was about to tell the shopkeeper who she really was when Ben's voice carried into the shop.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Ben asked, walking up beside her and placing an arm around her shoulders.

Lara tried shrugging his arm off, but he only held on tighter. She turned to look at him, a quizzical look in her eyes. What the hell was Ben playing at? He winked at her before turning back to the shopkeeper.

"Is there a problem, sir? My wife and I would like a room for the night," Ben said, and Lara stiffened. If she had been drinking something, she would have spit it out.

"What?" she practically shouted, eyes widening in surprise. "No. No, no, no – "

Ben put a hand over her mouth and squeezed her cheeks together. "It seems my wife is still getting used to the idea of marriage," Ben said, letting out a small chuckle and giving the shopkeeper a look as if to say 'Women, can't live with them, can't live without them'. "We are newlyweds, you see, running errands for a bit of money to start our lives. This is supposed to be our honeymoon."

The shopkeeper looked from Ben to Lara, who nodded in defeat. Ben removed his hand from her mouth and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Lara gasped at his brazen action. She could feel her face burning, and she raised her hand to smack him. Ben had anticipated her move, however, and he cut her off, grabbing her hand in mid-air and grasping it in his own.

The shopkeeper just gave them a laugh, shaking his head in understanding. "Ah, yes, marriage. Married my own spitfire twenty years ago…been on a journey ever since."

Lara frowned slightly at the spitfire remark. "I beg your pardon?"

"No offense, miss, but I can tell you're…well, a bit of a handful," the shopkeeper said sheepishly, throwing Ben a sympathetic look.

Ben snorted out a laugh. "That she is, my friend," he said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. He reached up, gently touching her chin so that she could look at him. "But I wouldn't want her any other way."

Lara felt the heat rush back into her face. Her heart accelerated at Ben's words. She tried, desperately, to look away from his warm gaze, but his eyes held hers. He shifted his body, running his hands down her back until they rested on her waist. She felt shivers run up her spine at his touch. Her own hands moved up to his chest, relishing the feel of his muscles contracting under her fingertips. Ben leaned down, his breath tickling her face.

"I better see about that room you're wanting," the shopkeeper said, making Lara jump a foot in the air.

She clutched her chest trying to calm her racing heart as the shopkeeper moved past them. She turned away from Ben, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. The last thing she wanted was for Ben to see how much he had affected her.

"Love," the shopkeeper muttered, shaking his head again. He paused slightly and turned back to look at them. "Avo knows you're going to need it in these trying times." His gaze moved over Ben. "Don't ever let her go, son. It doesn't take an idiot to figure out you two were meant for each other." And with that, he stepped out of his shop.

OoOoOo

The bed creaked slightly as Lara shifted her weight, folding her arm under her head to use as a pillow. Her gaze travelled over to the curtain that divided the small cabin in two. Ben had placed it up for privacy as she had taken her bath. Now, it was Ben that was behind the curtain, bathing in the tub and hot water the shopkeeper had so thoughtfully provided.

She followed his movements, imagining the water running down his arms and torso. Lara shook her head ruefully. It would do her no good to dwell on what had happened back at the shop. She knew Ben had been acting, putting on a show so that the shopkeeper would think they were really married.

But she couldn't deny the feelings he had incited in her. And that confused her. The way he could make her feel like they were the only two people in the room, the way her body always flushed at his touch…the way a small part of her had wanted to believe his words were real.

Lara shot up in bed, angry at herself for thinking such things. She needed some space…to breathe some fresh air and clear her thoughts. She pulled on her boots and grabbed her jacket just as Ben finished his bath.

"Isn't it funny," he began, water sloshing as he stepped out of the tub, "the way the shopkeeper thinks we make a perfect couple. Can't blame him, though, we _do_ look good together."

He pulled the curtain aside, one hand grasping at the white towel that was around his waist. His hair had been slicked back, but a few wet strands fell into his eyes. Beads of water dotted his bare chest and arms. He winked at her, a mischievous grin forming on his lips.

"Stop doing that," she said irritably.

"Doing what?" he asked, running a hand through his wet hair, grin still plastered on his face.

"Giving me that look. I'm not one of those girls you can win over with your good looks."

"You think I'm good looking?"

"That's not what I…I didn't say that," Lara scowled at him. She pulled on her jacket a little too forcefully and practically ripped the door from its hinges as she wrenched it open. "I'm going out."

"Wait," Ben called out behind her, but she kept walking.

A million thoughts swirled through her head. She walked to the other side of the village resisting the urge to kick a chicken that had crossed her path. It was dark outside. The villagers had long since gone to bed, and the moonlight was concealed by the dense trees that surrounded the area. The silver nitrate torches were the only light available, flames casting shadows at the entrances to the village.

She needed time to just take a deep breath and analyze the situation. She couldn't afford to be sidetracked. Her mission was far too important. Her people needed her. She quickly came to the conclusion that any personal matters had to be set aside…no matter what they were.

"Hey, what happened back there?" Ben asked, buttoning up his pants and pulling a shirt over his head, bare feet padding toward her.

She took a deep breath. She resolved not to let Ben get to her anymore. No matter how annoying he got or what he said to her, she wasn't going to take the bait.

"Nothing…I just needed some fresh air," she replied. "Too many things going through my head."

He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets and shifting his feet around. "Of course," he said, "that's understandable considering everything that's happened in the past few months."

Lara looked over at him, surprised at his kind words. Maybe she was wrong about Ben after all. As much as his cocky attitude annoyed her, she had to admit he had his moments when he was just an overall good guy.

He inclined his head at her, before turning to walk back to their cabin.

"Oh, by the way," he called out over his shoulder without breaking stride. "You still owe me. Don't forget I saved your life _twice_ back at Mourningwood Fort." He went into the cabin not even bothering to look back at her.

Lara could feel the anger rushing in her veins. She opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of the cabin door closing behind Ben cut her off. She cursed under her breath. Perhaps she had spoken too soon.

* * *

_**AN: Sorry if this chapter ran a little long. Ideas got the better of me as I was writing. **_

_**Thanks to iNf3ctioNZ for helping out, yet again, with this chapter. Sorry, kid, couldn't wait to upload. :)**_

_**Allie Finn: Thanks! I'll make sure to go over and check it out. :)**_

_**quantumparadigm: You know I'm excited for Aurora. :D Thanks again for your review!**_

_**LoveTheCrazy: Hope you liked it! :)**_

_**Sam Belk: Hope I did Ben justice this time! :D**_

_**bunniesarecool80: Awkward indeed. Good thing Jasper's not one for gossip…or is he? ;)**_

_**Kat: Thank you! Glad you're liking it so far! :D**_

_**Fanficaddict12: Right? That should count for two. Too bad Ben doesn't see it that way. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_


	10. Chapter 10

"A simple trip to Silverpines doesn't automatically earn you loads of renown," Page stated, crossing the room to join Walter by the map.

Lara resisted the urge to punch her out by crossing her arms over her chest. She kept her anger in check, however, instead leaning back against the map table and feigning indifference. She raised an eyebrow at Page.

"I think I've more than proven myself," Lara said simply, surprised at how steady her voice was despite the anger she felt. "Shall I get you a list of references? I'm sure the villagers in the Mercenary Camp, Dweller Camp, Brightwall and the soldiers at Mourningwood Fort would be more than happy to vouch for me."

"That won't be necessary," Page said with a wave of her hand. "We have even bigger problems."

"Reaver," Walter said gravely, putting his hands down on the map and shaking his head.

Lara pushed away from the map not really liking where this was going. Logan had kept her away whenever Reaver visited the castle, but the little she knew about him, she disliked.

"A small group of fighters managed to get into his mansion," Walter continued. "But they never made it out."

"I believe they're still alive," Page added. "And you're going to help me find them."

Lara nodded. "Alright. I suppose you two have come up with a plan."

"Reaver hosts some sort of fancy secret society party every week," Walter explained. "We don't know what goes on, but we do know what the guests look like. It's the perfect chance to sneak in."

"Perfect," Ben piped in, surprising Lara. She had forgotten he was also in the room. "We sneak in, rescue our men and sneak back out. Reaver will never know we were there."

Page, who had stepped away while Walter had been talking, came back carrying a bundle of clothing. "Here," she said, pushing the clothing into Lara's arms. "You'll have to wear this."

"Great," Ben said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Where's my costume?"

"Sorry, kid," Walter said, patting Ben's shoulder. "We can't risk sending in more people. Page and Lara are more than capable of handling this themselves."

"What? I can't come? Even after saving the princess from Simmons and all those Hollow Men?"

Lara snorted back a laugh which she managed to turn into a slight cough. She knew all three were looking at her, but she kept her eyes on the garments Page had given her. She couldn't quite figure out what the costume was supposed to be exactly.

"Something you'd like to say, Princess?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well, I'd hardly call that rescuing," Lara scoffed. "Simmons was as good as dead, he just didn't know it."

"Oh, really?" Ben said, walking around the map to stand directly in front of her. "I seem to recall a slightly different story…one where you were on the ground, weaponless, while Simmons towered over you."

"Much like you in Silverpines, right?" Lara countered. "Except it was a white Balverine that had you pinned down."

"Anything to get you to touch me, sweetheart," Ben winked and threw her a smile as Lara felt her face burn in both anger and embarrassment. "I felt how your hands lingered over my muscles when you were feeling for broken bones."

"If you wanted to be touched, you should've just asked. I'm sure a kick to the groin would leave a lasting impression," Lara said through gritted teeth. "I should've left Silverpines as soon as my business was done."

"I didn't hear you complaining when you were enjoying a nice, hot bath that night," Ben responded.

Lara opened her mouth to spout off yet another retort when she heard Walter clear his throat behind her. "Er…not that I want to know, but what exactly happened in Silverpines?" he asked, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nothing," both Lara and Ben shouted at the same time, not breaking eye contact with each other.

Walter held his hands up in defense. "Okay, sorry I asked."

"Right," Page finally spoke up, looking from Ben to Lara. "As much as I enjoy hearing you two fight like an old married couple, Lara and I have to get dressed."

Though neither wanted to back down, Lara finally conceded, following Walter to the door so that she could change in another room. Ben's voice, however, made her pause just as she reached the doorway.

"Maybe I should stay and make sure no one spies on you," she heard Ben say to Page.

Lara felt her heart twinge at Ben's words. She silently chastised herself for such a reaction. Ben's and Page's relationship was certainly none of her business. She could care less what he said to Page when they were alone.

Then why was there an ache in her chest just thinking about Ben and Page as a couple?

Lara slammed the door behind her. Ben and Page were adults and within their rights to do whatever they wanted. Lara didn't need to get involved. She took a deep breath and resolved to, once again, not get sidetracked by the personal lives of others.

In the meantime, she had a party to get ready for.

* * *

Ben paced in front of the fireplace, keeping count of the minutes Page and Lara had been gone. They had left only a couple of hours ago, at the most, but it seemed like much longer. He didn't know what to do with himself. He was a man of action, always moving, always doing something. He hated being left behind. Swift had gone up to the castle and most of the men had gone to the local tavern while they all waited for their next move.

"Quit doing that, you're making me tired just lookin' at ya," Walter called out, two mugs of ale in his hands. He motioned to the seats in front of the fire, handing one mug to Ben as they both sat down.

Ben took a sip, relishing the bitter taste in his mouth. If anything, he knew the alcohol would at least help him relax. Lara's dog, Ares, moved over to lay down by his feet, and Ben absentmindedly reached down to scratch behind his ears. He looked over at Walter who seemed to have already gotten a few mugs into his system.

"How can you just sit there knowing that Lara might well be in danger?" he finally asked Walter.

Walter shrugged, knocking back the last dregs of liquid from his mug before clipping it back on his belt. "I taught Lara everything I know. Hell, I'm proud to admit she's even better than me, if you can believe that," he let out a laugh, fatherly pride lining his words. "It's been hard letting her go off on her own, but I trust her to do the right thing."

Ben slowly nodded, taking another sip of the ale and sitting back in his seat. He had seen Lara fight, knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but he still couldn't stop himself from worrying about her. He stared off into the fire, frowning. What was it about her that drew him in?

It had started as a challenge, trying to break through that wall she always kept up. But now it was more than that. He enjoyed teasing her, seeing that fire in her eyes. He enjoyed making her laugh, even it only happened when he got hurt. Most of all, he enjoyed just being with her, something he hadn't felt with any other woman.

Ben let out a sigh, draining the rest of his ale. There was something still bothering him, though. Something he had kept to the back of his mind since she had first mentioned it. He turned over to Walter, who seemed to be dozing off.

"Who's Elliot?" Ben asked, reaching over to nudge Walter's arm.

Walter sat up, eyes flying open at Ben's voice. "Elliot?" Walter repeated. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Lara," Ben said plainly.

"And what exactly did she tell you about Elliot?"

"Nothing, really," Ben said, thinking back to the conversation with Lara at the camp site outside of Mourningwood. "Just that they're engaged…and that's about it."

"Lara said that?" Walter asked, the drowsiness that had been in his eyes now fully gone.

"Yes…she might have said some other things, about loving him and whatnot," Ben said, dismissing the idea of Lara being in love with Elliot with a wave of his hand.

"I see," Walter replied, suddenly taking great interest in a piece of lint on his shirt sleeve. Ben had the nagging suspicion that old Wally was trying really hard not to look into his eyes.

"Well," Ben prodded, "who is he?"

"Elliot is…well, he's…"

"What? What is he?" Ben implored, urging Walter to continue.

Finally, Walter sighed, looking defeated. "Look, kid," he said, eyes finally shifting up to glance at Ben. "If you want to know more about Elliot, you'll have to ask Lara." He seemed to be looking for the right words to say next. "All I can tell you is that he and Lara are childhood friends…the only friend, really, that Lara was allowed to have."

Ben looked toward the fire again, not really content with Walter's answer, but knowing that he would get nothing else.

"Is there a reason you asked?" Walter posed the question quietly, and Ben felt it was better to tread carefully with the answer.

"N-not really," Ben answered, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. "Just curious."

"Curious, eh?" Walter's eyes narrowed, and his face took on the seriousness of a father looking down at his daughter's potential suitor. "Or are you taking an interest in her?"

Ben sputtered out a laugh. "Pffft! An interest? Me? N-no, of course not. More like watching out for her…as a friend. Wouldn't want for her to get hurt." He offered Walter a weak smile.

The older man seemed to consider his words for a moment before finally accepting them. "I'll be the one to do the hurting, if you know what I mean." Walter emphasized his statement by cracking his knuckles.

Ben was saved from answering when a small boy ran into the room, chest heaving with exertion. Ben recognized the boy as a street urchin, one of many that the Resistance paid to act as messengers. Ben jokingly referred to the group of boys as the "Bowerstone Irregulars"…a name derived from a book he had once read about a detective who would use the same method to gather information.

"Sir Walter," the boy cried out, clutching his chest as he fought to catch his breath. "King Logan is about to make a speech, sir."

"What about, boy?" Walter asked, outwardly portraying the same anxiousness Ben felt.

"Don't know, sir," the boy continued. "The citizens will be asked to gather at the castle shortly for the king's message."

Ben's heart pounded in his chest as his mind tried to fathom just what exactly the king had prepared. "This can't be good," he whispered.

Walter nodded in agreement, throwing a few coins into the boy's hands. "Meet Page and Princess Lara outside of Reaver's mansion. Let the princess know that she is to meet Captain Finn outside the castle gates."

The boy bobbed his head in agreement, throwing out a quick salute before running off to run his errand.

Walter moved around the room, stuffing some clothing into Lara's pack. "Take this to Lara," Walter said, shoving the pack into Ben's hands. "Go and find out what Logan has planned. I hope to Avo it's just another decree and not…well, let's not think about the worst. Neither of you can be seen, do you understand?"

"Aye," Ben acknowledged, pulling on a long coat and a cap. "We'll come back as soon as we can."

_**

* * *

**_

_**AN: Apologies for the delay…real life sucks, sometimes.**_

_**Disclaimer: The "Irregulars" belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.**_

_**As always, a big THANK YOU to iNf3ctioNZ for taking the time to read this. Go take a look at Masses to Masses and Masses to Masses 2 (the latter of which has almost 900 reviews!) in the Mass Effect world. :D**_

_**And, because I always suck at review replies…**_

_**Panda.T3a: Thanks! Ben has some work cut out for him, but I'm sure he'll break her down eventually. ;)**_

_**LoveTheCrazy: Yep, Ben is a Hero in his own way. :) Blossoming feelings, indeed.**_

_**bunniesarecool80: Hope this tickled you some more! I love finding Ben's notes and then just walking around hearing his voice, lol. :D**_

_**Kenzberry: Those poor chickens have been kicked enough! ;) Though, I have to admit, it **_**is**_** fun to do, lol. Thank you, and I hope you keep enjoying it! :D**_

_**Pinned back Wings: Isn't Ben just awesome? :D Squeee back to ya! :)**_

_**Sam Belk: Yay! He **_**is**_** a little annoying, isn't he? :) Thanks!**_

_**Alice Shadowrunner: I love bits of fluff…glad you enjoyed it! :D**_

_**Next chapter: Logan's big announcement!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN: Fair warning, sad chapter ahead. **_

_**

* * *

**_

Ben kept his head down, pulling the cap down over his eyes. He pushed himself into the crowd, trying to get the best view, while at the same time, remain hidden. He had lost sight of Lara's hooded figure a while ago. Deciding to gain more ground, they had parted ways as soon as they entered the castle grounds.

The rain poured down, and Ben couldn't help but grip his long coat tighter around him – though from the actual cold or from a preconceived feeling, he did not know. A sudden silence made him look up. There he stood…the King of Albion. A chill went up Ben's spine. He forced his way to the front, anxious to hear what Logan had planned. But it was what he saw that made him stop.

"Swift," he managed to whisper, his heart lodging in his throat.

The major had his hands and feet chained, the shirt and trousers he was wearing were torn and soiled. A member of Logan's Royal Guard held on to Swift, moving him to a higher platform so that all could see. Ben's hands balled up into fists. His anger raged through his body, blocking out Logan's words. He took a step forward, determined to save his mentor…his friend, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Ben, don't," Lara whispered fervently into his ear.

It was hearing his name, more than anything, that caused him to stand down. Lara's hand remained on his shoulder, more as an act of comfort than an attempt to restrain him.

It seemed as if time had slowed down and yet sped up at the same time. One second, Swift was standing in front of him, and the next a shot rang out and Swift's body slumped to the ground. Ben couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He remained still, eyes transfixed at the body of the man he had grown to love as a father.

Lara tugged at his arm, and Ben allowed himself to be led away. He blindly followed Lara, his mind still in shock at what he had just witnessed. The rain continued to pelt them, and Ben felt as if the whole world were in mourning for the loss of such a great man. It wasn't until they reached the sewers that he completely stopped, causing Lara to look back at him in surprise.

"He has to be stopped," Ben said, letting go of Lara's hand. "No matter what it takes. He has to be…" But Ben couldn't continue. The words got caught in his throat, and he turned away placing his head in his hands.

"Ben, there was nothing we could do," Lara whispered, and he felt her hands on his back trying to comfort him.

"Of course there was!" he yelled, anger replacing sorrow as he turned back to her. Lara took a step back, eyes widening at the change in his manner. "We could've saved him, and instead we just stood there and watched him..." He threw his hands up in the air, not wanting to finish the sentence. "We should have gone up there and – "

"And what?" Lara asked, not raising her voice, yet her tone took the same authoritative quality as if she had . "Gotten ourselves killed? There are much bigger things at stake here. Swift knew what he was getting himself into."

"How can you just…you didn't even know him!"

"Swift was a man of honor. He gave his life for what he believed in."

"He was much more than that! But you don't understand that, do you, _princess_? That there are people, _good people_, that are willing to give their lives for you. And yet you stand there and act like it's _nothing_!" Ben ran a hand through his hair in frustration, anger surging through his veins at her indifference. "You have no idea what it's like to witness the death of someone who means the world to you. To watch him die while you were standing by, helpless to stop it."

Ben walked past her, afraid that he would continue his rant if he stayed. He needed to get away, find a quiet spot all to himself to properly mourn the man who had turned his life around.

"I lied."

The two words were so quietly spoken, but it was enough to make him stop. He didn't turn but waited for her to continue.

"About Elliot," she vaguely elaborated.

Ben remained still, the rage he had felt earlier now slowly leaving his body.

"I killed him," she stated simply.

She…what? Ben turned around slowly, not sure if he had just imagined her words. She looked so vulnerable, shoulders slumped, looking down as she wringed her hands together. He didn't move, didn't say anything. After a few minutes of silence, she finally looked up at him, and he was surprised to see the tears brimming in her eyes.

"Some protesters had gone up to the castle, and Elliot warned me that they would be executed for their insolence. When I tried to stop it, Logan made me choose." The tears now trailed down her face. "I chose Elliot."

Ben's brows furrowed, confused as to what she was telling him. Chosen Elliot for what? She took a step forward, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

"He was executed that same night…the night I ran away from Logan, from his injustices." She took a deep breath, hastily wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Elliot died, and I did nothing to save him."

Lara held his gaze a few seconds longer before finally turning and walking away. Ben watched her go, wanting to call out something…an apology about Elliot or what he had said. But then she was gone, and, for the first time, Ben Finn was utterly at a loss for words.

* * *

_**AN2: It felt right to keep this only in Ben's point of view and end it right there. :(**_

_**Thanks to iNf3ctioNZ for his help and suggestions! Congratulations on passing the 900**__**th**__** review mark!**_

_**RumAngel: Thanks! Hope you continue to enjoy it. :)**_

_**emberlies: No worries! :) Hope your computer's okay! :D**_

_**Kat: I figured since we all know the story, it would do good with another perspective. Hmmm, side quest to Reaver's mansion…that's a thought. ;) **_

_**Fanficaddict12: More hurt than anything in this chapter. But comfort is sure to follow! :)**_

_**VIXie: Thanks! More to come! :D**_

_**Next chapter: Prelude to Aurora!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**AN: I wanted to give a special shout out to Diko Linnai! This wonderful reader took it upon herself to draw some very awesome fan art! You can see it at: http:/ balba-bunny . deviantart . com/# / d3ck6vx (remove spaces). If you can't see the link ('cause I know ff is weird that way), look for balba-bunny on the deviantart homepage. Aptly titled "When hell freezes over", it is a beautiful drawing of the princess and Ben that was inspired by the Silverpines chapter when Ben pretends that they're married. Take a look at her stuff…it's awesome!**_

_**

* * *

**_

Lara groaned as she rolled over in bed yet again. She heaved the contents of her stomach into the bucket that had been so conveniently placed next to her bed. She fell back onto the thin mattress, closing her eyes and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"How's our little princess doing today?" Walter asked, walking into the cabin and sitting on the edge of her bed.

Lara opened her eyes long enough to throw him a glare. "Couldn't we have used the map in the Sanctuary to fast travel to Aurora?" she moaned, swallowing a few times to keep from gagging as another dip in the ocean caused her stomach to flip.

"And miss all the fun of traveling by ship?" Walter asked, letting out a hearty chuckle.

"Yes, I'm having the time of my life here," Lara replied sarcastically, leaning over the bed to retch into the bucket again.

"Who would've thought the dear princess would get sea sick? Besides, Jasper's still trying to figure out exactly how the Sanctuary and the Guild Seal work."

"Alright, next time I'll use the Guild Seal and everyone else can travel by ship."

Walter laughed, reaching over to pull her up. "Why don't you go outside for a bit? Maybe some fresh air will do you good."

Lara let out another groan but got out of bed nonetheless. Avo knew she had been stuck in that ruddy cabin ever since they first set out. She splashed some water on her face and walked out, making her way to the side of the ship. Placing her hands on the railing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pretending she was anywhere but on that stupid ship.

"Feeling better?"

Lara started. Her eyes flew open as she recognized Ben's voice. She spared him a quick glance, nodding mutely before setting her eyes on the horizon. It was a cloudy day and a thick haze prevented her from seeing more than a few yards.

An awkward silence fell upon them. They hadn't spoken since their little chat in the sewers after Major Swift's death. After their return to the Resistance's headquarters, they had been sent out to the docks to secure a ship. That had left little time to talk as they battled wave after wave of soldiers. And, so far, their journey to Aurora had left Lara sick in her cabin…her only visitors being Walter and her faithful dog, Ares.

The air between them grew heavy with tension. Lara bit her bottom lip unsure of what to say but knowing that she had to at least _say something_.

"Ben, I – "

"Lara – "

They each turned to each other, going silent as they waited for the other to continue. Finally, Ben inclined his head at her as if to say "ladies first". Lara nodded, looking out at the ocean again and taking a deep breath.

"I-I must apologize if I acted callous after…well, in the sewers. I know I come off as coldhearted." She had heard the whispers of the Mourningwood soldiers, calling her "ice queen" when they thought she wasn't around. "I understand very well what people have given up for me…the lives that have been lost and the families that have been destroyed because of me. Their blood is on my hands. I am guilty for their deaths as much as Logan is."

She looked down at her hands. Her knuckles had turned white from gripping the railing. Lara could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and fought to control them. She let out a shaky breath, blinking a few times to keep the tears from falling.

"Is that really how you feel?" Ben asked, taking a step closer to her. He placed a hand on the railing next to hers. He didn't touch her, yet he was close enough to where Lara could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. "That you are responsible for their deaths?"

"I may as well be," Lara sighed as the tears spilled down her face. She hastily wiped them away, angry with herself for crying in front of Ben again. It seemed that everything she had held inside for so long just came tumbling out whenever she was with him.

She took a few seconds to sort out her thoughts. She had never felt the need to explain herself to anyone. Everything that she did was for a valid reason. Jasper and Walter knew that and never questioned her. But there was something about Ben…she _needed_ to explain…_needed_ for him to understand why she acted the way she did.

"Ben, I…," Lara turned to face him, looking up into his blue eyes full of concern. "I can't break down in tears every time someone dies or something bad happens. The people of Albion are looking for a strong leader, someone they can look up to, someone they can trust to defeat Logan and bring Albion back to its former glory. I don't want you to think that I don't care for my people. Elliot, Major Swift, the countless citizens that have died…I cared for them – all of them – very much."

Ben nodded, moving his hand to place on top of hers. He cleared his throat, a mischievous grin on his face as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Am I also on that list of people you care about?"

But Lara didn't hear him. Just as his head bent down, Lara saw, through the thick mist, the mast of a huge ship. She pushed Ben away, walking quickly to the far end of the ship. Lara gasped at what she saw before her. It wasn't just one, but dozens of ships now coming into view. She cried out a warning, but it was drowned out by the roaring sounds of numerous canons being fired.

Lara couldn't move. Her feet stood rooted to the spot as she watched the canon balls sail through the air right at her. Suddenly, she felt herself being tackled forward.

"Are you crazy?" Ben shouted, his body thrown protectively over hers. "You could've been killed!"

Their ship lurched dangerously as it continued to be pelted by canon balls. Lara grasped Ben's shirt as they rolled together and slammed into the side of the ship. Ben groaned, his body taking most of the hit. Lara heard Walter cursing, his booming voice barely audible over the noise of the chaos. He stood near the front of the ship with Ares. She quickly got up, almost tearing Ben's shirt as she grabbed the fabric and pulled him up.

They ran toward Walter, hand in hand, their feet slipping on the wet deck. Ben limped behind her, his body still sore from ramming into the side of the ship. They dodged canons, darting this way and that as the wood splintered around them. Lara jumped, vaulting over a canon ball as another streaked by her, dangerously close to her head. She ducked instinctively, holding Ben's hand in a death grip. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, but Lara feared they were all fighting a losing battle. It was only a matter of time before the ship went down.

Walter waved his hands in the air, shouting and pointing up at something behind them. But Lara could barely hear him. It wasn't until she felt Ben's hand being ripped from her own that she realized what had happened. The mast fell down, but the base continued to hold, and it just dangled precariously over them. Then, the ship rocked again and the long shaft completely broke, swinging to the side and knocking into Ben.

"No!" Lara shouted, simultaneously fighting to regain her balance and stretching out to try to reach Ben.

But it was useless. Ben was thrown into the ocean. The deck crumbled beneath her, and before she knew it, she plunged into the icy water. Her body screamed in shock. She kicked hard, trying to break the surface, but the world had turned upside down. The ship sank around her, the weight dragging her deeper into the depths of the ocean.

Lara fought the undercurrent, straining to make sense of her surroundings, but the freezing water pushed from all sides. Her body rolled, riding wave after wave of currents. Her lungs burned, desperate for air. Her body felt heavy, weighed down by her boots and clothing. The more she struggled to swim, the wearier she became.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, everything calmed down. Lara stopped fighting, too exhausted to continue. A numbing feeling began to creep into her limbs. She floated aimlessly in the water, her eyes seeing yet not seeing. A bright light came into view, and Lara felt strangely at peace. She held out an arm as if to touch dazzling orb. It drifted in front of her, seemingly getting closer as she felt herself being drawn to it.

A few bubbles escaped her mouth as she let out her last breath. The light grew dim, blurring before finally fading away. And then, darkness.

* * *

_**VIXie: Thanks! :D**_

_**Pinned back Wings: No worries! Ups and downs just like any relationship. Thank you! :)**_

_**TheSilentSiren: Aww, hope it wasn't too sad. I hate seeing Ben like that. I like his usual, flirty self. ;)**_

_**quantumparadigm: Yay! I think they're slowing starting to realize they have more in common than they think. More confessions to come! :D**_

_**Kenzberry: Right! Being a princess is not all butterflies and rainbows, after all. Aww, thanks! :D**_

_**bunniesarecool80: I figured he would try to blame someone, and Lara just happened to be there with him. I also like reading other people's interpretations of his feelings. :)**_

_**Sam Belk: Yeah, I think fighting all of Logan's guards helped Ben release some of his anger. I'm sure Ben saw Logan's face on every single guard he fought. :)**_

_**Diko Linnai: Thanks again! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Really looking forward to Aurora as well. :D**_

_**Next chapter: Caves and Aurorans (Auroranites? Aurorians?)!**_


	13. Chapter 13

The soft melody floated over her like a warm wind caressing her skin. The beautiful sound whispered in her ear, comforting and welcoming. It felt fairly intimate, enveloping her in a loving embrace, reminding her of her father's tender hugs when she was a young child. The music seemed oddly familiar. She had heard it before…in a music box. Her father's music box! The same instrument she had given to Sabine, but the little man hadn't known how to open it.

The music suddenly stopped, and Lara felt as if she had been jerked away from something so peaceful and soothing. She could hear someone…Walter! His gruff voice was calling Ben's name, it was only then that Lara was pulled back to reality.

She opened her eyes to see Ares lying next to her, his sad eyes keeping watch over her. He tilted his head to the side, realizing that she was now awake, and immediately set upon licking her to death. Lara pushed him away wearily, her limbs feeling heavy. The rest of her senses seemed to awaken as well. She could feel the grainy texture of sand on her face, taste the arid dryness of the air, see the golden orb of the sun that had hovered over her while she had been in the ocean.

Slowly, Lara got up, her sore body quickly regaining a strength she didn't know she had. The wreckage of the ship littered the shoreline. Walter called Ben's name one more time and then joined her, handing her the leather pack that carried her Guild Seal and few provisions.

"Are you alright?" Walter asked her.

Lara nodded, searching the shoreline for Ben. But other than herself, Walter and Ares, there seemed to be no other sign of civilization. Just an endless ocean before her and an endless desert behind her.

"Where is he? Where's Ben?" she asked worriedly.

"I…I don't know. I only hope…well, maybe he washed up somewhere else. I'm sure that's it," Walter replied, giving her a reassuring smile. "Now, the only way forward seems to be through a rather ominous cave."

"That's it?" she asked. "What if Ben's hurt? We can't just leave without him."

"Look, Lara, I don't mean to sound callous, but we have to forget about Ben for the moment. He's a strong swimmer; he should be alright. Right now, we have other things to worry about, like finding a way out of here." Walter cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Balls!" The word echoed around them as Walter chuckled playfully. "See, I forgot about him already. No idea what color his eyes are."

"A light cerulean blue that darken slightly whenever he's concerned," Lara replied absentmindedly as she shielded her eyes with one hand and tried looking ahead for signs of life. "I hate to admit it, but I think Page was right. Aurora _is_ a dead land."

When Walter didn't reply, she turned back to look at him. She was surprised to see that he had stopped completely and was looking at her with such sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Lara walked back to him.

"Balls," he whispered. "Do you even realize what you just said?"

"I know, I know." She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"How long have you felt this way?"

"Uh…just recently, I guess," she replied, confused as to the way he phrased his question.

"I should've seen this coming," he said desolately.

Lara frowned at him. "I…don't understand. I thought you would be glad I felt this way. Isn't this what you wanted? For us to get along?"

"Well, yes, but not _this_ well," Walter replied, nearly shouting. "I…I'm sorry. It just came as a bit of a surprise. You're like the daughter I never had, Lara. You can see how this is troubling."

"Er…okay," Lara said, not really understanding what Walter meant by that. "Look, Uncle, I know I gave the impression of disliking her, but she has her good qualities. I would never let my personal feelings for her cloud my judgment."

"What are you talking about?"

"Agreeing with Page about Aurora. Why?" Lara narrowed her eyes at him. "What are _you_ talking about?"

Walter's face grew red, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh…the same thing."

He quickly walked past her, but Lara ran after him grabbing his arm to stop him. "Wait a minute. Walter, what's on your mind?"

Walter placed both hands on her shoulders giving her that sad look once again. "I had a feeling all along, especially after talking to Jasper. I just didn't know how serious it was."

"Wow, that _was not_ cryptic at all!" Lara replied, letting out a fake laugh. "Can you seriously just tell me what in the world you're going on about? It seems as if you've caught on to something that I've yet to understand."

"That's exactly it," Walter sighed, shaking his head.

Lara crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"You'll find out soon enough," was all he said.

He walked away again, only this time it was at a much slower pace. Lara glared at Walter's back, trying to make sense of their whole jumbled conversation. When he didn't explain further, she finally gave up, throwing her hands up in the air and following him further into the cave.

Whatever it was Walter had been talking about, he wasn't going to tell her – _that_ much she knew. But judging by Walter's reaction to it, she had a feeling that it wasn't good. No, it wasn't good at all.

* * *

Ben opened his eyes, letting out a low groan as he tried to gain his bearings. The smell of various spices permeated the air. He squinted against the harsh sun. The last thing he remembered was that their ship had been under attack.

He sat up. Pain suddenly seared across his chest making it uncomfortable to breathe. He let out a few weak coughs as he clumsily unbuttoned his shirt. A large welt ran from his right ribs to his left shoulder. Ben suddenly remembered being hit by the broken mast before being thrown into the ocean.

He grimaced in pain as he finally managed to stand up. One hand was placed protectively across his ribs, slightly reminiscent of his wounds at Silverpines…which brought about another thought.

"Lara," he whispered, looking out into the endless ocean.

"Actually, it is Kalin."

The voice startled him. He turned around slowly coming face to face with…a bald woman? He blinked a few times, still trying to make sense of what had happened in the past few hours.

"Aurora?" he asked, shakily raising his hand to point at the ruins of a city behind her.

The woman nodded but didn't speak nor move, just continued staring at Ben as if waiting for him to explain how he had gotten there. Ben couldn't blame her. Now, looking around properly, it seemed as if he had appeared out of nowhere. There was no shipwreck lining the shore…no sign of Walter, Lara or even Ares.

"What happened? Where are the others?"

"There are others?" Kalin asked. Though her face held no emotion, her voice held a hint of concern.

"The princess…Lara…and Walter," Ben tried to explain. "We were traveling together, but we were attacked. I-I was thrown into the ocean. I must have lost consciousness. The next thing I know, I'm here."

"Princess Lara?" This time, Kalin seemed intrigued by the turn of events. "You mean Logan's sister?"

Ben rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, yes, Logan's sister. How many other Princess Laras do you know?" he asked sarcastically. He let out a tired sigh, realizing that Kalin was not amused by his answer. "Look, Kalin, is it? It's been an extremely long day, what with being attacked and almost drowning. I can explain everything, but first we must send out a search party. My friends…they're out there somewhere, I know it."

Kalin stared at him for a few seconds as if contemplating what to do with him. Finally, she slowly nodded. "Very well," she stated, motioning him to follow her. "Come with me."

Ben limped behind her, his eyes taking in the dark city. Up close, he now saw that the buildings themselves weren't in ruins. No, it was something else that gave the city an almost gloomy feel. Looking around, he noticed that there was an obvious lack of life. The streets were deserted…no one, other than Kalin and Ben, were out.

"Nice collection of dust you have around here," Ben quipped, hoping to lighten the mood. "I just love what you've done with the place."

Kalin remained silent, though Ben noticed that her body had stiffened slightly at his remarks. He frowned, not really knowing what to make of it. Ben knew that Swift would not have sent them on a wild goose chase. He had no doubt about the major's intel, but he _was_ beginning to suspect that Aurora had problems of its own.

He followed Kalin up a long flight of stairs, starting to get a little uncomfortable at the awkward silence between them and the depressing atmosphere that surrounded them. Finally, Kalin led him to a room lit up by dozens of candles. It held a few bed rolls, and the shelves on the walls were lined with various bottles. Kalin sat him down on a roll and set about gathering up several bottles and bowls. She knelt before him, mixing up the different ingredients and grinding them together in a bowl.

"Please remove your shirt," Kalin ordered, bringing up the bowl that held some red paste.

"I usually let a woman buy me dinner first before I remove my clothes," he joked, a stupid grin appearing on his face.

Kalin looked up at him, a blasé look on her face. Ben's grin faded.

"Well, it seems you and Lara will get along perfectly," he said under his breath, grimacing in pain as he removed his shirt.

But either Kalin didn't hear him or she just chose to ignore him. She applied the paste to his chest, then wrapped his upper body in a heavy cloth. It was only after she finished tending to him that she finally spoke.

"You come from Albion," she stated. "Has Logan finally sent the help he promised so many years ago? Is that why you are here?"

Ben frowned, confused at her questions. He shook his head. "I hate to disappoint you, but we're not here because of Logan." He thought about his answer and then shook his head again. "Wait, we _are_ here because of Logan but for a completely different reason. You see, Logan has…well, he's been…look, why don't I just start from the beginning?"

Kalin nodded, wiping her hands on a wet rag and then moving to sit on the roll in front of his. Ben gathered his thoughts, unsure of what exactly Kalin had been expecting. He wasn't aware that Logan had traveled to Aurora, let alone that he had promised help to them – help that they obviously hadn't gotten. He took a deep breath, relieved to feel that the pain in his chest was slowly abating.

"My name is Captain Benjamin Finn," he said, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. "And Albion needs your help."

* * *

_**AN: Sooo, ff has been really weird lately. I really hope it gets fixed soon since it either doesn't let me sign in or allow me to add a chapter for some odd reason. :(**_

_**Special thanks to iNf3ctioNZ and quantumparadigm, for their insight and lending an ear whenever I need it. ;)**_

_**Pinned back Wings: It made me sad, too! The first time I played, I thought he had died. :( I was so glad to see him later, alive and well. :)**_

_**Diko Linnai: Wow, thanks! When I play, I try to imagine what the characters are going through. I'm really glad those feelings and thoughts are coming through in my writing. :D**_

_**emberlies: Thank you! Although I'm a huge fan of "love at first sight", I know that, sometimes, that is not always the case. Lara is such a breath of fresh air compared to my other pieces, so I just love writing her. Glad to hear you're back! :)**_

_**Sam Belk: What a story! I hope that driver got his comeuppance for sending you flying into the water! ;)**_

_**quantumparadigm: I thought he was lost forever! I didn't go much into detail here, but Lara will definitely feel Ben's absence in the next chapter…especially with the darkness coming up. ;)**_

_**SilverShards: I'm so glad you like it! :D I did the same thing with his pages, lol! I would press on them and then go about my business with his voice in the background. Thanks! :)**_

_**Next chapter: The darkness and a rescue!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: First off, a million apologies for updating this story so late. Real life sucks, sometimes. That being said, I'm apologizing in advance if this happens again. I just have some personal stuff going on at the moment. :/ I have not abandoned the story! I promise to continue updating as soon as I can. :)**

**Second, has anyone out there gotten stuck in Reaver's mansion? I did and actually stopped playing because of it. :( This sucks! It totally ruined my Fable 3 experience!**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Sorry for any mistakes…I pretty much finished writing and wanted to upload quick. A shout out to iNf3ctioNZ and quantumparadigm who encouraged me to update!**

* * *

Lara took a deep breath, fighting hard to maintain a calm front. The darkness crept into her skin sending a chill down her body that had nothing to do with the temperature. She could feel it whispering around her, taunting her, accusing her of leaving Walter behind…leaving him to die.

She shook her head. She couldn't let it get to her. Instead, she tried focusing on something real. She flexed her right hand, relishing the burning pain in her knuckles. Walter had been on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Her usual teasing insults to divert his attention from his fear hadn't worked. So she had reverted back to something she hoped would do the trick.

Lara had punched him.

Right hook to the side of his face, leaving him with a black eye and her with a bruised hand. It had worked, too…until the darkness came and took him away.

Lara shook her head again. She couldn't think about it. That's what the darkness wanted, and she wasn't about to give in. She walked quickly through the cave, Ares quietly whimpering at her heels. Her sword was gripped tightly in her hands, the pain in her knuckles a reminder of what was real and what wasn't.

_"You wish for the black void. You tire of your travels, your burdens…the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead."_

A horde of shadowy creatures surrounded her. Block, roll, swing. Just like Walter taught her.

_"You too will be swallowed. You are a fragile thing."_

She grit her teeth in frustration, concentrating on her movements and trying her best to ignore the raspy voice that grated her ears.

_"Accept death now. It is so much easier than what is to come."_

"Never!" Lara hissed, as the last creature evaporated in a puff of dark smoke.

Walter was alive, he had to be. And Ben... Lara forced her thoughts to focus on the task at hand - finding a way out of the cave. She vaulted down a small overhang making sure Ares remained at her side. If only she had done the same with Walter, if only she had forced him to jump first...

_Stop it!_ she chastised herself. _You have to stop thinking about - _

"Walter!"

Her heart caught in her throat. He was covered in the same black substance that littered the cave. Painful groans escaped from his mouth. She ran to him, afraid to touch him and cause him even more pain. Walter looked so frail and helpless...

She took a step back, her heart piercing with every painful moan. She thought of Major Swift. How the brave man had given up his life so that she could have hers. And then, she thought of Ben. Those blue eyes had been so full of life...

Suddenly, something in Lara snapped. She had had enough. She wasn't scared anymore. No, what she was feeling was much stronger, much more fierce.

She was pissed.

Lara turned around, and it felt like everything was in slow motion. She forced Ares to stay back, ordering her loyal dog to stay near Walter. The adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she gripped her sword in one hand and her pistol in the other. There was a moment of eerie silence. Then, almost as if on cue, the statues around her came to life.

Fueled by anger, Lara set about defeating them. Four of them advanced upon her,and she quickly rolled out of the way. She fired off a couple of shots, bullets seemingly useless against the creatures' metal exteriors. Lara threw her gun to the side and unleashed an ice storm on the statues, momentarily stunning them. Gaining speed, she ran at the nearest one, jumping up high in the air and slicing her sword down full force. Two creatures exploded in a puff of dust.

Every time she defeated a creature, another seemed to step in from the shadows to join in the attack. She weaved her spells, sending out a waves of shock as ice rained down upon her enemies. Her sword sparked as it came in contact with the statues' bodies, and she swung it around in a low arc, slicing the legs off of two of them.

Her adrenaline high made her oblivious to any pain from the creature' blows. She continued her battle, slashing and rolling her way through the throng of enemies until they all evaporated in clouds of smoke. Lara remained still, trails of blood running down her arms and down one side of her face. She was breathing heavily, but she was far from exhausted. If anything, the fight had left her even more determined to kill the creature that had trapped them inside the cave.

Lara heard a low thump behind her, and she turned around to find Walter on his knees. The black substance that had been holding him up pooled in front of him and then oozed over to one of the larger statues. The tar enveloped the sentinel, washing over it and bringing it to life.

_"The dark guardian shall come and protect us."_ That morbid voice filled Lara's ears again. _"And all that is flesh and light shall die."_

"No!" Lara shouted, her strong voice echoing in the cave. "This ends now!"

She rushed at the guardian, only to be thrown back. Lara landed with a low grunt. Her mind quickly changed tactics. She sheathed her sword, scrambling to get up as the black liquid started to form underneath her. She managed to roll out of the way just as a spray of energy cascaded through the floor.

Lara took a few steps back, hastily wiping away the blood from her brow that had trickled into her eye. The sentinel continued to lash out at her, sending out waves of rock to smash into her every time she stayed in once place too long. There was nothing Lara could do but continue to roll out of the way and chip away at it with her will spells.

A horde of shadow creatures caught her off guard. While she quickly dispatched of them, a wave of rock hit her. She flew in the air, landing hard on her side right onto the hilt of her sword causing her to lose her breath. Lara let out a few coughs, her eyes watering at the pain.

She clutched at her side. Lara felt the sentinel walk toward her, his staff raised high in the air. She glanced over at Walter. She couldn't see his face. He was kneeling, his body hunched over. The blood was now rushing from her brow, blinding her in one eye.

She thought to the last time she had been in the same predicament. Lieutenant Simmons towering over her about to finish her off. If it hadn't been for Ben...

Lara closed her eyes, Ben's image flashing in her mind, giving her strength. She let out a growl, her eyes still closed as she kicked out. The sentinel's knee gave a sickening crunch as her heel made contact. The creature stumbled, and Lara took advantage of it's momentary setback. She grabbed the hilt of the sword, unsheathing it in one swift move and lancing it up. Her eyes opened just as the blade sliced through the sentinel's neck.

It's head lobbed off, falling back as the sentinel fell to one knee then crashed forward to land right next to her. Lara coughed, a puff of dust rising into the air around her. She got up as quickly as she could, grabbing her sword as she stood. She winced in pain as the adrenaline began to wear down and the various cuts on her body began to sting. She ran to Walter, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stand up. The force field that had been blocking the exit to the cave had disappeared, and Lara wanted to leave the cave before the creature came back.

"Wait," Walter's gruff voice, called out in alarm. "I can't see! That thing...it blinded me. I can't see!"

Lara felt a pang in her heart. What the hell had it done to him? "It's okay," she replied, forcing herself to keep her voice strong. "I'm right here, Walter. It's going to be okay."

She placed his arm around her shoulders, leaning to one side to bear his weight. Walter circled his arm around her waist for support, and she had to bite down on her lip to keep from crying out. She had probably broken a couple of ribs in that fall.

They walked away, Lara continuing to reassure Walter that they were going to be okay, while Walter fearfully repeated that the creature was still out there somewhere. A bright light caused Lara to squint, and she brought up a hand to shield the sudden brightness. It was as if a cover had been placed over the sun and it had been suddenly removed. One second, there was darkness, and the next they were stepping outside into the sun-basked desert.

"Are we out?" Walter asked, as the warmth of the sun washed over them. "Did we get away?"

"Yes. We're safe for now," Lara replied, letting out a small sigh of relief.

But the feeling was shortlived. Other than the ruins they were standing on, the desert seemed to go on for miles. There appeared to be nothing else in sight.

"What can you see?" It was almost as if Walter had read her thoughts.

Lara hitched Walter up against her side again, still supporting more than half his weight as he was too weak to even walk. They walked up a few steps, but still, there seemed to be nothing around them.

"There's nothing," she finally said, trying not to let the disappointment show in her voice. "Just a desert."

Walter grunted. "Are there no signs of civilization?"

Lara used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her brow again. She squinted, barely making out something into the distance.

"I think there's something...a statue, I think, in the distance. Might take a few hours to get there."

"Lara, whatever that thing did to me sucked all the light from inside of me. I still can't see anything." He let out a weak cough, leaning into her even more. "I'm not sure...I don't know how far I can go. I'm too weak. I can't do this."

Lara frowned, tightening her grip around Walter. "Of course you can. Come on." She walked forward, half dragging Walter, who was now relying solely on her to keep himself upright.

"No, Lara, stop. I can't. You have to leave me behind."

"No!" Lara said forcefully.

"Listen to me. I can't see...I can barely stand. I'll slow you down - get you killed. You have to go on without me."

"I'm not leaving you behind," she said through gritted teeth. She pushed on until Walter suddenly collapsed, almost taking her down with him.

"Leave me!" he shouted, using the last of his strength to reprimand her. His body grew limp in her arms.

"Walter!"

Her heart beat wildly in her chest. He was unconscious, but still breathing. She knelt beside him for a few minutes, hands on his chest while she deliberated what to do. She looked out into the expanse of desert again. The quicker she got to that statue, the quicker Walter would get help.

Lara glanced back at Walter, cradling his head in her hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her final decision weighing heavily on her heart. She leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I'll be back," she whispered. "I promise."

OoOoOo

The scorching sun beat down on her, sweat running along her skin, mingling with blood. Her mouth was dry, lips chapped. The pain at her side was worsening with every step she took. And yet she forced herself to continue...the statue in the distance her only hope for obtaining the help Walter so desperately needed.

He was okay for the moment. She had left Ares with him, but she knew her faithful dog could do nothing for Walter's condition other than keep watch over him.

A silhouette in the distance almost made her stop in surprise. Her heart rose to her throat. She moved faster, almost running as she got closer to what looked like a person sitting down at a table. Until she noticed that it was Walter...

Lara had to blink a few times as she slowed to a walk and approached the table carefully. It was Walter...but he looked different somehow. She frowned, quickly glancing behind her to the spot where she had last seen Walter, and then back to the man sitting before her.

Then, that horrible voice. _"I'm blind! I can't see! Help me!"_

The sky turned dark, and a cold wind swirled around her. Lara ran ahead. She pushed past another image of Walter.

_"You abandoned your friend to die. He's calling for you."_

Lara fought to ignore Walter's cries of pain. He wasn't real. She needed to keep pushing forward.

_"Don't leave us! Don't leave us here forever and ever!"_

Her feet felt heavy as she ran through the sand. Walter appeared in front of her, but she didn't stop. The darkness was playing with her mind.

_"You try to run away, but you are made of sand. You are falling apart between our fingers."_

But Lara didn't turn back. She continued running, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Walter's voice filled her ears. He walked past her, carrying a torch. He was relaying some sort of story. Pinned down by the enemy, being stuck in a cave...Lara covered her ears.

"Stop it!" she cried out.

The disembodied voice laughed triumphantly. _"There's nothing left. You are gone. All gone."_

Lara sank down to her knees, her hands over her ears, still trying to block out the voice. Walter stood in front of her, torch in hand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, finally letting the exhaustion overcome her.

OoOoOo

Lara groaned. Her body felt stiff and sore. She opened her eyes, her vision a little blurred. The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly again. A woman's face came into view.

"She's still alive. The other can't be far away."

Lara frowned, opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Whether friend or foe, Lara didn't care. She wanted to scream out, to let the woman know that Walter was still out there. Then, another face appeared...one she had come to know quite well.

"Taking a nap in the sun? Typical royalty," Ben quipped, kneeling down and running a hand along the side of her face. His eyes were darkened with worry, though a smile was slowly creeping into the corner of his mouth. "You had me worried there for a while."

Lara reached out, and he grabbed her hand, gripping it in his. "Ben," she whispered hoarsely.

"Shhh, it's okay. You're safe now." Ben squeezed her hand in reassurance. "They'll find Walter. They'll bring him back."

She nodded mutely, still trying to figure out who "they" were and what exactly was going on. But knowing that Ben was alive was enough for her. The rest would come later. She gripped Ben's hand tightly, almost as if confirming to herself that he was real.

"Ben," she whispered again. He leaned down, his face just millimeters above hers. His warm breath caressed her skin. "Don't let go."

His face became blurry. Lara could barely make out his features. Her eyes grew heavy, and she closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her. Far away, deep into the recesses of her mind, floated one word.

"Never."

* * *

**Awww, Ben is such a sweetheart! 3 And because I always suck at review replies (again, sorry this is late, guys!):**

**emberlies: Haha, Lara needs to start listening to herself. I think she'll find out some pretty interesting things… :) Thanks for the review!**

**Pinned back Wings: Walter and Ben are such great characters. Their voice actors did an amazing job of bringing them to life. Thanks for the review! :D**

**Diko: Thanks! Lara can be detailed when she wants to be…even if she doesn't notice it, lol. :)**

**atheirin: Thank you! I hope you continue to read. :D**

**Kenzberry: Lara has a heart in there somewhere, lol. Ben's gonna have a hard time chipping away at that block of ice surrounding it. ;) Thanks for the review!**

**Sam Belk: YouTube's helped me out a lot since I stopped playing. It's just a matter of actually finding the right videos, though. Thanks for the review! :)**

**Ekurian: Thanks! My friend, iNf3ctioNZ, helps me out with Ben…which works since they're both cheeky bastards, haha. :)**

**Alice Shadowrunner01: We'll be seeing a lot of Ben in the next chapter. :D Thanks for the review!**

**wildcat717: Thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy the story! :)**

**Tintosha: Haha, thank you so much! :D**

**RainDancer823: Thank you! :D**

**PookiedaWuzzle: Don't worry! I have a lot planned for Ben and Lara so this won't be dying soon. Thanks for reviewing! :) **

**A big THANK YOU to everyone that has read, reviewed, favorited, and put this on story alert! Seriously, I am in awe at the amount of support this story has gotten. I know I keep repeating this but, really, THANK YOU! :D**

**Next chapter: Ben comes to a realization…or does he? ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I won't clog up this author's note with excuses as to why I haven't updated in two years. I just wanted to thank everyone who's kept up with this story and who've waited patiently for me to finally update. Also, a shout out to iNf3ctioNZ, quantumparadigm, and TheRev 28 who have offered nothing but words of encouragement every single time I wanted to resurrect this story.**

* * *

Ben ran a hand through his hair in agitation, pacing between Walter's bed and Lara's. It had been two days since Kalin and her people had rescued the princess and Walter and neither showed any signs of improvement. Lara let out a low moan, and Ben ran to her side. She was having another nightmare. He grabbed a clean rag, dipping it in a bowl of cold water.

"Shh, it's okay," Ben quietly reassured her. He sat on the edge of the bed, one hand gently running the wet rag along Lara's forehead, the other taking a hold of her hand.

"No!" Lara cried out, her face distorted in pain. Her body jerked up almost as if she was trying to fight whatever she was dreaming of. Her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath. "The darkness...don't let it..."

"I'm right here, Lara," Ben called out to her, unsure if she could really hear him. "I won't let anything hurt you, I promise."

"I...can't," Lara breathed out. "Make it stop!"

"It's okay," he repeated, hastily flinging the rag aside. He stroked her hair, his fingers brushing back the soft tendrils that framed her face.

"No!" Lara yelled again. The will lines that ran down her arms suddenly began to glow. They brightened as she continued to fight the demon in her nightmare. Her body writhed again, squeezing Ben's hand in a death grip. Her eyes were shut tight, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I can't...fight anymore. I...can't."

"Then I'll fight for you. I'll protect you," Ben leaned down, whispering hoarsely in her ear. "I won't leave you, Lara. I won't let go."

Lara immediately quieted down, unconsciously shifting closer to him. After a while, her breathing resumed a normal, even rate, and Ben finally relaxed. He continued his earlier ministrations, the wet rag lightly blotting Lara's face.

"You must rest," Kalin said as she walked into the room.

"I'm not tired," he replied, not even bothering to look up at her. His thumb tenderly caressed Lara's palm.

"You have been here since we found them." Kalin moved to Walter's bed, checking his vital signs and making sure he was comfortable. "I will look after them while you sleep."

"I said I'm not tired."

"I did not ask if you were. You will be of no use to them if you are suffering from exhaustion. You must sleep. I will wake you if their condition changes."

"I'm not leaving her...them." Ben hastily corrected himself, shaking his head wearily. "I'm not leaving _them_."

There was a few minutes of silence. Kalin busied herself with looking after Walter, while Ben maintained his watch over Lara. He let go of her hand, carefully placing it at her side then reached up to run his fingers along the side of her face. Lara let out a small sigh, and Ben smiled as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You love her."

Ben looked over at Kalin in surprise. It wasn't a question. It was a statement - and a bloody crazy one at that.

"W-what?!" he asked, forcing out a laugh.

"You cannot lie to me. I see it in your eyes." Kalin walked over to stand on the other side of Lara's bed. The look she was giving him was a little unnerving. She was so calm, yet her eyes seemed to be boring into him.

"That's ridiculous, Kalin. I've only known the princess for a short time - "

"And yet she has already touched your heart."

"She hasn't touched anything...unfortunately," he said with a wag of his eyebrows. She didn't even bat an eye. Yep, Kalin was definitely going to get along with Lara. He looked down at the princess, making sure she was resting comfortably and then threw the rag into the bowl. "Look, Kalin, I can see what you're getting at. The princess is a very beautiful woman, and I'm a devilishly handsome rogue." He threw her a quick wink. "It's only natural for us to be attracted to each other...but love?" He shook his head, letting out a low chuckle.

Kalin didn't even smile. Ben stop laughing, and he fixed her with a slight frown. "You know, even after Lara, you are without a doubt the most serious person I've ever met."

"You are the most idiotic I have come across," Kalin shot back. "I did not think that was even possible, but you have succeeded."

"I tend to exceed women's expectations," Ben replied with a cheeky grin, eliciting nothing but a small sigh from Kalin. "Oh, come on, that's funny!"

Kalin merely narrowed her eyes at him. "You hide behind humor - "

"Ah, so you _do_ think I'm funny..."

" - because you are insecure about what you really feel."

"I-I don't know what you mean." Ben kept his gaze down, making a pretense of removing the bowl from Lara's side and filling it with fresh water.

"You can lie to me, Ben Finn, but you cannot lie to yourself." Kalin took the bowl from him, giving him a pointed look.

Ben rubbed the back of his neck as he took a step back. What Kalin was saying was ridiculous, of course. Sure, he thought Lara was very attractive. And he rather enjoyed spending time with her and getting her riled up. Then there were those moments in Mourningwood and Silverpines where he felt like they had a connection.

But it was all a game, right? A challenge to melt that ice surrounding Lara's heart and then…

Then what? Move on to the next lucky lady in typical Ben Finn fashion? Would he even be able to do that? There was something about the princess that made him think he wouldn't be moving on as easily. If he would be moving at all.

Wait a minute. What was he even thinking? He must really be tired if he was questioning his own feelings. If there was one thing he didn't do, it was fall in love. Nope. Not him.

He shot Kalin a crooked grin, then walked into the next room where his bed roll was already laid out and waiting for him. All he needed was a good night's sleep to clear his head.

* * *

"_I'm right here."_

That voice. It had guided her through her nightmares, assuring her that she was safe. And she had believed it. Ben hadn't failed her yet.

_"I'll protect you."_

Lara winced. Her body felt unusually stiff.

_"I won't let go."_

She let out a low groan, her aching muscles burning as they came to life.

Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, her mind trying to catch her up with the series of events that had occurred in the past few hours. Or was it days? Lara was still confused as to what was real and what wasn't. It was all one big blur in her head.

"Ah, you are awake. Good."

Lara turned to her left. The same woman from the desert - the one who had rescued her - was standing next to Walter. Lara struggled to sit up, but the woman gently pushed her back down. "Who..."

"My name is Kalin, and you are in the city of Aurora," the woman replied.

Lara looked past her at Walter's figure lying just a couple of meters away. "Walter? How is he?"

Kalin placed her hand on Lara's shoulder. "He is fortunate to be alive, but we have seen his condition before. We may be able to help him."

"There was someone else...in the desert," Lara said, suddenly remembering a very familiar face in her rescue party. "Another friend."

Kalin gestured with her head to Lara's right side. Lara followed the other woman's gaze until it rested on a mop of unruly, blonde hair. She was surprised to find her right hand clutched in both of Ben's as he sat there, sleeping by her side. Lara quickly pulled her hand away, jerking Ben from his sleep.

"Ben!" Lara exclaimed. Kalin's hand was pushed aside as Lara finally forced herself to sit up. "I-I thought..."

"Not dead yet, princess," Ben winked at her.

"What happened?" Lara ran her hands through her hair. "How did you - "

"I washed up on the local port," Ben replied, anticipating her question. "Kalin found me and brought me here. I charmed her into getting a search party out for you."

At this last part, Kalin snorted, and Ben just offered a grin. Lara swung her legs over the stone bed and, before anyone could stop her, she walked over to Walter's bed. He looked so weak and pale laying there with a thin blanket pulled up over his chest.

"Whoa, Lara, wait." Ben rushed after her. "You shouldn't be out of bed. You need to rest."

"I'm fine," Lara brushed away his concern, and she was telling the truth, too. Minutes ago, her muscles had been stiff and aching and now all she felt was a renewed sense of energy coursing through her body. "How long were we out?"

"About three days," Ben replied, standing next to her with his arms held out as if fearing she might collapse at any second. "Are you sure you're okay? You were out of it pretty bad."

Lara kept her eyes on Walter. "We...we went through a lot."

"You saw it, then?" Kalin asked quietly.

"Yes," Lara nodded, squeezing Walter's hand before turning to Kalin. "We had to go through an underground cavern to get from the beach to the desert. It caught us there."

Kalin gave her a knowing look. "Then you understand why we cannot help you."

Again, Lara nodded. She understood, but she couldn't afford to lose Aurora's support. They would need to work something out. But that would be a conversation for later. For now, she needed to make sure Walter was going to make it.

"What's going on?" Ben asked. "What happened to you and Walter? What did you see?"

Lara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could still feel the fear gripping her heart. It was a nightmare she was never going to get rid of. Then Ben shifted closer to her, and his warmth was comforting, making her feel safe.

"The darkness," she whispered, opening her eyes to find Ben looking at her, blue eyes darkened in concern.

Lara said nothing more, and Ben didn't push, perhaps sensing her fear.

"We call it the Crawler," Kalin offered. "It appeared five years ago bringing darkness and death. We never know when it will come, and we cannot hope to defeat the creature and its spawn without an army, even with someone like you by our side."

"Someone like me?"

"A Hero," Kalin said, her look suggesting that Lara's bloodline was obvious. "You are strong and skilled, yes. But your Hero blood makes you superior in every way - stronger, faster. You can survive most things that others cannot." She paused, then offered Lara a warm smile. "But perhaps we can talk once you have been properly fed and bathed. Even a Hero needs nourishment, no matter how strong they are."

"No." Lara shook her head. "I'm not leaving Walter."

"It's okay, Lara. I'll stay with him," Ben assured her.

"You've done more than enough, Ben," she replied, noting the bags under his eyes. "I can take over from here."

"I must insist, princess," he said, and she resisted the urge to shoot him with a glare at the mention of her title. "Besides, you really _do_ need that bath," he added with a wrinkle of his nose.

"You're not smelling too good yourself, Captain."

"Then maybe we can take that bath together." He winked at her. "You know, as to not waste water."

She rolled her eyes at him, grabbing her jacket on the way out of the room. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be here," he said with a grin. "And Lara?"

She paused at the doorway, looking back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"It's good to have you back."

She nodded, and for the first time since they first met, she gave him a genuine smile.


End file.
